President-elect Trump yesterday said that he'll nominate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health & Human Services, sending shockwaves through the biotech sector.
Why it matters: Investing in vaccine and other drug development is inherently risky and expensive, and soon may have the added variable of a medical conspiracy theorist leading a department that oversees the FDA.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. could radically reshape the Department of Health and Human Services if he is confirmed as secretary of the agency under President-elect Trump.
Why it matters: The onetime independent presidential candidate has been one of the country's most prominent vaccine skeptics for years, alarming public health experts about his nomination to lead to HHS.
President-elect Trump has selected vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the nation's top health care agency, which would give him power over food and drug regulation, Medicare and Medicaid policy, the federal public health system and national health care research money.
Why it matters: We're now in the Wild West in a way we never were during Trump's first presidency, at least when it comes to health care.
Americans are divided about what role scientists should play in crafting public policies, with Democrats far more likely than Republicans to say they should play an active part, according to a new survey by the Pew Research Center.
Why it matters: Partisan differences in trust of scientists could influence who helps devise policies in the new Trump administration — and beyond — as the world faces climate change, new pathogens, AI and other complex challenges.
Public health leaders on Thursday quickly decried President-elect Trump's pick of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for health secretary, predicting his vaccine skepticism and other public statements would undermine scientific expertise.
Why it matters: Key figures warned of the unique predicament of a having a noted vaccine skeptic who's sown mistrust of federal health agencies in charge of the Department of Health and Human Services.
