How have RFK Jr.'s vaccine policies impacted America's public health? : Consider This from NPR

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said he wouldn't take away Americans' vaccines. Many medical experts say his changes are already chipping away at access. Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images hide caption

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Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said he wouldn't take away Americans' vaccines. Many medical experts say his changes are already chipping away at access.

Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

Before he entered politics, Kennedy made a career out of stoking doubt about vaccines, promoting theories contradicted by mountains of scientific evidence on common vaccines which have been studied for decades and safely administered to hundreds of millions of people.

Now, six months in as head of Health and Human Services, he has instituted a number of policy changes on access to vaccines for both children and adults.

NPR's Mary Louise Kelly and health correspondents Rob Stein and Pien Huang talk through how these changes could impact public health and the public's wallets.

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This episode was produced by Connor Donevan. It was edited by Scott Hensley and Jeanette Woods. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.