Vaccine Debates: A Look at Robert F. Kennedy Jr. 's Confirmation Hearing

Buzz about Robert F. Kennedy Jr. 's past statements on vaccines is spreading fast ahead of his Senate confirmation hearing for a big job. He wants to be the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). Newsweek tried to get a comment from Kennedy himself. This situation matters because President Donald Trump picked Kennedy for the job, and that's causing a stir. Some people are bothered by Kennedy's views on vaccines. He's not against all vaccines, but he sure has some strong thoughts about them. He even leads an anti-vaccine group called Children's Health Defense and has made claims that vaccines cause autism, which scientists have proved wrong. But Kennedy says he won't ban vaccines if he gets the job. Instead, he wants people to have choices and get the best information about vaccines. One of his old interviews on CNN is now making a comeback on a social media site, X, formerly Twitter. It shows Kennedy and a journalist discussing vaccines. In the original clip, Kennedy says there are no safe and effective vaccines. But he denies saying this later in the conversation! He also talks about how many vaccines kids get these days compared to years ago. An infectious disease expert named Neil Stone sees things differently. He shared a chart on X that shows measles cases went down after vaccines were introduced. He thinks Kennedy should see this chart and understand that vaccines really do work. Stone also pointed out that Kennedy shared wrong information about a vaccine that prevents cancer. Even though some people support Kennedy, others have concerns about his views. For example, a musician named Five Times August wondered why some people are suddenly worried about being forced to eat healthy if Kennedy might use his power to encourage it. On the other side, a political commentator named Anna Matson sent out a message saying that Democrats may say Kennedy isn't right for the job, but they might not give the full story. Kennedy will face a Senate panel on Wednesday to talk about his thoughts on vaccines and other health issues. They'll decide if he gets the job or not.