What is RFK doing to vaccines for children in America?

28 snips

Mar 27, 2026

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Debra Houry

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INSIGHT

Judge Paused RFK Jr. Vaccine Overhaul

A federal judge blocked RFK Jr.'s vaccine-panel changes for failing to follow legal and scientific procedures.
The judge found the appointments lacked rigorous screening and shifted decisions from science to ideology, halting cuts from 17 to 11 recommended childhood shots.

INSIGHT

Public Support Limits Extreme Vaccine Moves

Public opinion favors vaccines broadly, creating political tension for extreme policy shifts.
Marianna Spring noted vaccine sceptics are a loud minority, and Trump has been cautious because mainstream voters generally support vaccination.

INSIGHT

Shared Decision Making Lowers Vaccine Priority

Moving vaccines to shared clinical decision-making effectively downgrades their status and can reduce uptake.
Debra Houry warned this change risks reduced school requirements, insurance coverage issues, and uneven implementation across states.

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A federal judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from making big changes to vaccines for children in the United States. It’s a blow to Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy - RFK Jr - a longtime vaccine sceptic who was given free rein by Donald Trump to “go wild with health”.

Since taking office a year ago, Kennedy has sought to slash the number of recommended shots for children from 17 to 11. The American Academy of Paediatrics and other large medical groups have sued, saying Kennedy's changes violate federal law and are based on ideology instead of science.

In this episode, Marianna and Justin unpack what this means for Donald Trump’s big plan to - as he puts it - "Make America Healthy Again” with Dr Debra Houry, the former director of the CDC (Centre of Disease Control and Prevention) who resigned in August 2025.

HOSTS: • Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter • Marianna Spring, Social Media Investigations Correspondent

GUEST: • Dr Debra Houry, former Medical Director of the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention

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This episode was made by Emma Close and Alix Pickles. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The series producer is Purvee Pattni. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

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