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# RFK Jr. Tones Down Vaccine Skepticism in Run Up to Midterms
- URL: https://www.fdaweb.com/rfk-jr-tones-down-vaccine-skepticism-in-run-up-to-midterms/
- Published: 2026-04-09T12:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-14T13:37:06.000Z
- Author: David McFarland
- Tags: FDA Policy/General, #legacy-id-D5160956

HHS secretary **Robert F. Kennedy Jr.** has been told by the White House to tone down and curtail his public commentary on vaccines as part of a deliberate political strategy by the Trump administration, according to a newly revealed internal memo reported by Bloomberg.

The memo outlines a “low-risk messaging” approach that sidelines vaccine rhetoric in favor of less polarizing issues ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Internal polling cited by administration officials found that vaccine policy — long a central focus of Kennedy’s “Make America Healthy Again” agenda — has become politically unpopular with key voting blocs.

As a result, Kennedy has increasingly emphasized topics such as food safety, chronic disease, and drug pricing in recent public appearances, avoiding the vaccine debate that once defined his platform. The shift reflects broader concerns within the White House that continued focus on vaccines could alienate moderate and independent voters.

The change in tone comes despite sweeping and controversial moves by Kennedy’s department to overhaul U.S. vaccine policy, including scaling back routine childhood immunization recommendations and reshaping federal advisory panels. Those efforts have faced legal challenges and strong opposition from medical groups, further complicating the administration’s political calculus.

Meanwhile, HHS is weighing changes to the qualifications for federal vaccine advisers following a court ruling that blocked Kennedy’s overhaul of a key immunization panel, according to a *Politico* [report](https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.politico.com/newsletters/politico-pulse/2026/04/09/rfk-jr-maps-out-a-new-vaccine-panel-strategy-00864394&ved=2ahUKEwjz8ZbGiuGTAxUgj4kEHa1MCq4QxfQBKAB6BAgUEAE&usg=AOvVaw2ADKovbdDnkZqdaMvGVBzI). A federal judge last month froze Kennedy’s handpicked members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), finding that several lacked the expertise required to guide national vaccine recommendations. The administration has not appealed the decision.

In a move that could reshape the panel, HHS this week signaled it may broaden eligibility criteria as part of renewing ACIP’s charter, which governs the committee’s structure and mission. A notice filed in the *Federal Register* indicates the department is seeking a wider “balance of specialty areas,” including biostatistics, consumer advocacy, and state and local health perspectives—marking a shift from the prior emphasis on deep vaccine-specific expertise.

The development follows Kennedy’s sweeping dismissal of the entire ACIP roster last year and replacement with advisers more aligned with his vaccine-skeptical views. U.S. district judge **Brian Murphy** ruled that effort violated longstanding procedural requirements tied to the committee’s charter. Outside allies have encouraged the administration to rewrite those requirements.

In another vaccine development, the CDC has delayed publication of a study showing significant benefits from Covid-19 vaccination, a move that is raising concerns about political influence over public health messaging, according to a [report](https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2026/04/09/covid-vaccine-report-delayed/?%5Fpml=1&ref=fdaweb.com) from *The Washington Post*.

The report, which had been slated for release in CDC’s *Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report*, found that vaccinated healthy adults were about 50% less likely to require emergency or urgent care and 55% less likely to be hospitalized during the 2025–2026 winter season compared with unvaccinated individuals.

Acting CDC director **Jay Bhattacharya** halted the publication over concerns about the study’s methodology, according to officials familiar with the decision. The analysis used a “test-negative design,” a widely accepted approach long employed by the CDC and published in leading journals to measure vaccine effectiveness for respiratory illnesses.

An HHS spokesperson said it is standard practice for leadership to review studies prior to publication and that further work is underway to address methodological questions.

However, the delay has prompted concern among current and former health officials who fear data demonstrating vaccine effectiveness may be sidelined because it conflicts with Kennedy’s past criticism of Covid-19 vaccines.

Public health experts note that the disputed methodology, though imperfect, has been used for decades to monitor real-world vaccine performance and is often considered the most practical alternative to randomized controlled trials in this context, according to the *Post*.