April 13, 2026 

DFA Warns Against the Erosion of Scientific Integrity at HHS Under Secretary Kennedy

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Doctors for America is deeply concerned by the launch of Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s new podcast and the recent revisions to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) Charter, both of which raise concerns about dangerous medical misinformation at the Department of Health and Human Services and undermine the evidence-based standards that protect our patients' health. 

Secretary Kennedy claims his podcast will usher in a “new era of radical transparency” and “expose corruption and lies” in medicine and public health, but his administration’s actions over the past year tell a different story. Under Secretary Kennedy’s  direction, the Department of Health and Human Services has systematically removed national health data and prevented the opportunities for public review that are foundational to its scientific integrity. Last month, a Federal judge halted Secretary Kennedy’s attempt to characterize decades of scientific evidence on vaccines as “corruption and lies”. Instead of elevating scientific truths, the Secretary’s response has been to alter the mission of the ACIP, the group of vaccine experts that creates national vaccine recommendations. The new ACIP will no longer focus primarily on vaccine efficacy, which has been the cornerstone of public health best practice for decades. Shifting ACIP’s focus to “vaccine risks” - a role already under the purview of the FDA and vaccine safety monitoring systems across agencies - raises concerns that his hand-picked committee will downplay the benefit of vaccines, further propagate misinformation, and elevate the voices of fringe organizations who profit from the spread of vaccine misinformation over those of scientific and medical vaccine experts.

At a time when trust in our public health institutions is already fragile, using the authority of the Department of Health and Human Services to codify established science as deception risks further eroding confidence in the systems designed to protect patients. We, as physicians, are already seeing real-world consequences in our clinics, Emergency Departments, and hospitals. Our patients are delaying or declining routine, life-saving vaccines and turning to unproven, unsafe treatment alternatives advertised by the Secretary. Promoting recommendations that contradict the scientific consensus is causing preventable harm to Americans. Secretary Kennedy’s recent actions will only make things worse.

Public health organizations must  champion evidence-based policy built on  high-quality research studies. Repositioning these institutions as platforms for unvetted and misleading information under the banner of “transparency” puts generations of Americans’ lives at risk. Transparency in medicine means communicating evidence clearly, managing uncertainty, giving context to risks and benefits, and data accountability, not amplifying erroneous claims and fringe science that have been repeatedly studied and disproven. 

As physicians and health advocates, we rely on rigorous scientific processes, peer-reviewed evidence, and decades of research to guide recommendations that keep our patients safe. While open dialogue and public engagement are essential, they must be grounded in credible data and scientific integrity, not rhetoric undermining public health.

We urge Federal agencies to uphold accurate, evidence-based policy and practices and to ensure that health leaders and their communication platforms elevate credible expertise, rather than deepen confusion. The health of our patients depends on it.

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About Doctors for America:

Doctors for America (DFA) is a national nonprofit that mobilizes over 40,000 physicians and medical trainees to advocate for policies that improve the health of patients and communities. Through advocacy training and action at the state and federal levels, DFA works to expand access to affordable care, strengthen community health and prevention, and advance health justice and equity. We do not accept funding from pharmaceutical, insurance, or for-profit health care entities, ensuring our work remains fiercely independent and patient-centered. DFA puts patients over politics–and over profits. Find out more at doctorsforamerica.org and on X @drsforamerica or Bluesky drsforamerica.bsky.social.