President-elect Donald Trump’s appointment of vaccine critic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Health and Human Services Secretary has sparked fears among public health experts as childhood vaccination rates continue to decline nationwide, The Hill reported.

Kennedy has consistently expressed doubts about vaccine safety as he founded the anti-vaccine group Children’s Health Defense. In 2023, he stated, “There’s no vaccine that is safe and effective.” Experts worry that Kennedy’s influence in a leading health role could amplify misinformation and further erode public confidence in vaccinations.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that fewer than 93% of kindergarteners had all state-required vaccines in the 2023-24 school year, a notable drop from 95% in 2019-20. The rise in nonmedical exemptions, now at 3.3%, underscores growing hesitancy.

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