Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has long questioned vaccine safety, is planning a broad federal effort to address vaccine injuries, including a new research clinic at the National Institutes of Health and a new billing code to reimburse doctors for filing reports of serious vaccine side effects, according to multiple people familiar with the initiative.
Mr. Kennedy talked about the initiative when he and other top health officials made an unannounced visit to the N.I.H. in Bethesda, Md., earlier this week — his first trip there as secretary — to meet with patients who believe they have been injured by vaccines. Officials at the Department of Health and Human Services did not respond to requests for comment.
Mr. Kennedy’s efforts come as vaccine-preventable diseases, including measles, are rising in the United States because of falling vaccination rates. The World Health Organization estimated in 2024 that global immunization efforts have saved 154 million lives over the past half-century. Although injuries are rare, vaccine experts generally support close monitoring but are wary of Mr. Kennedy’s motivations.
The N.I.H. described the new effort in documents posted on its website in June, calling for improved data collection and analysis on vaccine injuries. Mr. Kennedy has made vaccine safety a cornerstone of his tenure, despite decades of research showing serious side effects are rare.
Source: New York Times Top Stories · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing