Robert F. Kennedy Jr., son of former U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy and nephew of former President John F. Kennedy, has been appointed by elected President Donald Trump to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, raising concerns among experts due to his anti-vaccine stance and unorthodox views on public health.
Kennedy Jr. has expressed controversial opinions, such as claiming that vaccines cause autism, linking mass shootings in schools to antidepressants like Prozac, and placing Chinese and Ashkenazi Jews as the most immune to the virus, while suggesting that it was targeted at Caucasians and African Americans. He has also claimed that Democrats receive more money from pharmaceutical companies than Republicans.
The appointment has generated negative reactions among public health experts, who believe that Kennedy Jr., despite being an environmental attorney, lacks the scientific or medical training to head such an important federal agency as the Department of Health.
Despite Trump's view of Kennedy Jr. as an individual with solid knowledge about pesticides and the environment, various health specialists warn about the potential repercussions of this decision, particularly concerning public trust in vaccines and public health programs.
The announcement of the appointment caused a drop in the stocks of pharmaceutical and medical care companies in the United States, as well as in the S&P 500 Health Care Index. Market analysts highlight the uncertainty that this designation could generate in the biotechnology sector.
Despite his political lineage, Kennedy Jr. has been criticized for spreading conspiracy theories about vaccines and COVID-19 during the pandemic, leading parts of his family and health specialists to question his suitability for such a significant role in U.S. public health.
