Trump Appoints Anti-Vaccine Activist Robert F Kennedy Jr. As US Health Chief

US President-elect Donald Trump has appointed anti-vaccine activist Robert F Kennedy Jr. as the head of the Department of Health and Human Services in his upcoming administration. Robert F Kennedy Jr., also known as RFK, has often been criticised for his public health stance, described by some as dangerous. In this role, he will be responsible for overseeing drug, vaccine, and food safety, medical research, and social welfare programmes.

Trump announced the nomination on his platform, Truth Social, on Thursday, saying, "For too long, Americans have been crushed by the industrial food complex and drug companies who have engaged in deception, misinformation, and disinformation when it comes to Public Health."

According to Trump, Kennedy will "end the Chronic Disease epidemic" and "Make America Great and Healthy Again!"

Shortly after the announcement, Kennedy expressed his gratitude on the social media platform X, saying, "Thank you @realDonaldTrump for your leadership and courage. I'm committed to advancing your vision to Make America Healthy Again. We have a generational opportunity to bring together the greatest minds in science, medicine, industry, and government to put an end to the chronic disease epidemic."

He added, "Together we will clean up corruption, stop the revolving door between industry and government, and return our health agencies to their rich tradition of gold-standard, evidence-based science. I will provide Americans with transparency and access to all the data so they can make informed choices for themselves and their families."

Who is Robert F Kennedy Jr.?

• Robert F Kennedy Jr. is one of the world's most prominent anti-vaccine activists and has strongly supported the now-debunked claim that vaccines cause autism and other health issues.
• He comes from one of the world's most influential political families, as the son of the late Attorney General Robert F Kennedy and the nephew of President John F Kennedy.
• He previously contested the Democratic nomination against Joe Biden last year before running as an independent in the presidential race.
• However, Kennedy later made a deal with the Republican Party, endorsing Donald Trump in exchange for the health portfolio in Trump's second administration.
• He and the president-elect have since developed a close friendship. The two campaigned together extensively in the final weeks of the race, with Trump making it clear that he intended to assign Kennedy a major role in public health as part of his "Make America Healthy Again" campaign.

(With agency inputs)