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Public health agencies need to be ‘Kennedy ready’: take action now to protect vaccine confidence

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: The Secretary of the US Department of Health & Human Services, Robert Kennedy Jr is leading a political agenda against vaccination. This is undermining the delivery of life-saving vaccination programmes and provision of evidence-based information on the safety and effectiveness of vaccines for the public and health professionals. Inconsistent and conflicting messaging between health practitioners and government health agencies erodes trust in public health programmes, creating a vacuum which is often filled with mis/disinformation that presents severe consequences for families. Due to the transnational spread of diseases, we consider the implications of events in the US for routine childhood vaccination programmes in the UK. Public health agencies across the world need to be 'Kennedy ready'; pragmatic steps must be taken to mitigate threats posed to vaccine confidence and the control of vaccine preventable diseases.

Source: Epidemiology and Infection

DOI: 10.1017/s0950268825100368

Authors: Ben Kasstan-Dabush, Helen Bedford, Tracey Chantler

Institutions: London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, University of Edinburgh, University College London

Language: English

Topic: Vaccine Coverage and Hesitancy

Subfield: Health

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,550