Summary
Parents and advocates fear a rollback of school vaccine mandates under Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), citing his anti-vaccine rhetoric and potential policy influence.
Experts warn Kennedy could lower vaccination rates by undermining trust, altering vaccine approval processes, or defunding federal vaccine programs. Such changes risk disease outbreaks, particularly for vulnerable children.
Critics also anticipate school board battles over vaccine mandates and highlight the impact of misinformation targeting minority communities.
Parents worry these shifts could have “life-or-death consequences” for children with chronic illnesses.
And if you removed a mandate, too many people are going to think that it was because there is some potential danger to it.