By Marie Rosenthal, MS
The Senate confirmed the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services on Feb. 13. The vote was along party lines with none of the 52 Democrats voting for him, and only one Republican joining them in voting no. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), a polio survivor, was the only Republican to vote against him.
One of the arguments against his nomination had been his long-term stance criticizing vaccines and suing vaccine companies, although he said during his confirmation hearings that he was not an anti-vaxxer.
In a statement after the vote, the Infectious Diseases Society of America said society members hope they will be trusted partners to the new secretary in making recommendations about infectious disease management based on scientific evidence. “Experts in infectious diseases can offer objective insight to Secretary Kennedy and his staff as the nation faces evolving future threats to the health of its citizens. By providing scientific, evidence-based recommendations to assess and combat all infectious diseases—which have no borders—including explaining their link to preventing and managing chronic health concerns, IDSA and its members can be trusted partners,” IDSA said in a statement.
“Secretary Kennedy’s confirmation is an important opportunity to reaffirm the longstanding, overwhelming and settled science regarding the safety and efficacy of vaccines, which remain our best defense against many serious infectious diseases,” said Tina Tan, MD, FIDSA, FPIDS, FAAP, the president of IDSA.
The Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA) also said it is ready to work with Mr. Kennedy. “We congratulate Secretary Kennedy on his confirmation to lead the Department of Health and Human Services,” said JC Scott, the president and CEO of PCMA. “America’s pharmacy benefit managers [PBMs] look forward to working with Secretary Kennedy to lower prescription drug costs for every American patient.”
Sen. Bill Cassidy, MD (R-La.) previously delivered a floor speech after voting to advance Kennedy’s nomination in the U.S. Senate Finance Committee last week in which he promised he would work closely with Mr. Kennedy to ensure the U.S. vaccination program continues.
“We need to make America healthy again, and it is my expectation that Secretary Kennedy will get this done. As chair of the HELP Committee, I look forward to working closely with Secretary Kennedy and the Trump administration to improve the health of all Americans,” Dr. Cassidy said in a statement after the confirmation vote.
“We look forward to working with lawmakers to hold Secretary Kennedy to his promise to maintain our nation’s vaccine approval and safety framework, including the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, the Vaccines for Children program and other public health vaccine programs,” Dr. Tan said.
