Trump nominates RFK Jr as US health secretary

US President-elect Donald Trump announced he has selected Robert F Kennedy Jr, an environmental activist who has spread misinformation on vaccines, to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, the United States' top health agency.

Mr Kennedy ran for president in this year's election as an independent before dropping out in August and endorsing Mr Trump in exchange for a role in the Republican's administration.

Mr Trump said in a post on social media that he was "thrilled" with the appointment and that his former rival "would make America great and healthy again!"

"The Safety and Health of all Americans is the most important role of any Administration, and HHS will play a big role in helping ensure that everybody will be protected from harmful chemicals, pollutants, pesticides, pharmaceutical products, and food additives that have contributed to the overwhelming Health Crisis in this Country," Mr Trump added.

The Department of Health and Human Services oversees the Food and Drug Administration, the Centres for Disease Control And Prevention, the National Institutes of Health and the massive Medicare and Medicaid Services programs, which provides health coverage for the poor, those aged 65 and older, and the disabled.

Medicaid and Medicare's tens of millions of enrollees mean HHS had a $3.09 trillion (€3.17 trillion) budget for fiscal year 2024, representing 22.8% of the US federal budget.

Kennedy's health priorities

Mr Kennedy, the son and nephew of two titans of Democratic politics, has been a part of Mr Trump's transition team and has been reviewing candidate resumes for the top jobs at US health agencies.

Over posts on social media platform X and interviews in recent weeks, Mr Kennedy has indicated his priorities include addressing what he calls the "chronic disease epidemic" of conditions including obesity, diabetes and autism, and reducing chemicals in food.

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Despite high levels of spending on healthcare and pharmaceuticals, Americans are unhealthier than their peers in wealthy countries around the world, according to a report from the Commonwealth Fund in 2023.

Mr Kennedy also suggested he would gut the 18,000-employee Food and Drug Administration - which ensures the safety of food, drugs and medical devices - and replace hundreds of employees at the National Institutes of Health.

Kennedy and vaccines

Mr Kennedy has been criticised for making false medical claims, including that vaccines are linked to autism. He opposed state and federal restrictions imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic and was accused of spreading misinformation about the virus.

He disputes the anti-vaccine tag, saying he wants more rigorous testing of vaccines instead. However, he chaired the Children's Health Defence, a non-profit organisation that focuses on anti-vaccine messaging.

In an interview in March, when he was still running for president, Mr Kennedy said Americans who want a vaccine for themselves or their children would continue to have access to them if he were to be elected.

However, he said he doubted the efficacy of measles vaccines.

Measles is one of the most contagious human viruses and is almost entirely preventable through vaccination. It requires 95% vaccine coverage to prevent outbreaks among populations.

US coverage rates have fallen below that level among young children, the CDC said this month.

Mr Kennedy, who first sought the Democratic nomination before becoming an independent, had a rocky presidential run marked by attention-grabbing media headlines.

During his campaign, he acknowledged in a video posted online that he dumped a dead bear in New York City's Central Park a decade ago and staged it to look like a bike had hit it.

He proclaimed he had "so many skeletons in my closet" after a former family babysitter accused him of sexual assault.

Mr Kennedy's campaign also confirmed a report that he had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has successfully recovered.