How RFK Jr. could revive a dormant task force to scrutinize vaccine safety Kennedy is set to become HHS secretary within days

https://www.statnews.com/2025/02/11/rfk-jr-trump-health-secretary-could-revive-task-force-vaccine-safety/?utm_campaign=morning_rounds&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-81u9h5GMj-eDj4RIKAl1In1G3cnb24NEbNptBI7psctDXO960tjtXdMHyZyohkW85kOBg3lnadIXyLdzd2Owo7SmCRXw&_hsmi=346693483&utm_content=346693483&utm_source=hs_email A dormant law could let RFK Jr. create a vaccine safety committee Almost 40 years ago, Congress created a task force to recommend ways to make childhood vaccines safer. The group of public health agency officials issued its final report in 1998, and has been defunct ever since. But now, as Robert F. Kennedy Jr. prepares to take the top health role in the Trump administration, reviving the task force could be one way to quickly stand up a panel to scrutinize immunizations. Kennedy has floated the idea of a commission on vaccine safety for years. Last week, when Senator Bill Cassidy (R-La.) spoke about the list of commitments that Kennedy made in exchange for his support on the HHS nomination, one was that Cassidy could choose a representative to serve on any board or commission formed to review vaccine safety. This indicates that reviving the old task force may be part of his plan. Read more on what’s possible from STAT’s Sarah Owermohle and former STAT reporter Rachel Cohrs Zhang.