Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s first year in office brought big changes.
USA TODAY’s Sarah Monishko looks back at Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s year as secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
It’s been one year since Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was confirmed as U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services. How is he doing so far?
It depends on who you ask.
The HHS website has a page highlighting the first year of President Kennedy’s “Make America Healthy Again” motto (MAHA), which states that the administration has built a “healthier and stronger America.”
Under President Kennedy’s leadership, the department is “taking bold and decisive action to identify the root causes of the chronic disease epidemic and transform America’s food, health, and science systems to make America healthy again,” the message said.
Brad Woodhouse, president of the social services nonprofit Protect Our Care, disagrees. “Over the past year, RFK Jr. has made America even sicker,” he said at a Feb. 10 press conference.
“He has given measles a foothold back in the United States. He continues to undermine the effectiveness of measles vaccines. He is undermining public confidence in vaccines. He is spreading dangerous conspiracy theories,” Woodhouse continued. “He installed quacks in key positions to wreak havoc on our nation’s public health infrastructure.”
Over the past year, Kennedy has won a loyal following of outspoken fans while also making moves that infuriated his equally vocal critics. So perhaps the best way to assess his success in the presidency is to look at what he’s done so far.
Here, in no particular order, are seven major moments from RFK Jr.’s first year as Secretary of Health and Human Services.
President Kennedy’s message on measles
President Kennedy said in an April 2025 interview that he encouraged people to get vaccinated against measles after an outbreak killed multiple people in the United States. It was the first death in the United States from one of the world’s most contagious diseases in a decade. As of February 2026, the measles outbreak has worsened, with hundreds of cases reported across the country.
“We’re encouraging people to get the measles vaccine,” Kennedy told CBS News in April.
He reiterated his support on social media platform X, posting: “The most effective way to prevent the spread of measles is the MMR vaccine.”
The post received backlash from anti-vaxxers, but infectious disease clinician and scientist Dr. Neil Stone welcomed Kennedy’s comments. “Words I never thought I’d hear Robert F. Kennedy Jr. say,” he wrote. “He’s absolutely 100% right. Hearing his words was a relief,” he wrote.
Later that month, President Kennedy changed his message, saying measles vaccinations are “leaky” because they become less effective over time, a claim that medical experts dispute.
RFK Jr. focuses on artificial food dyes
In April 2025, Kennedy announced plans to eliminate certain artificial dyes from the U.S. food and drug supply, a step towards one of his campaign promises.
“For too long, some food producers have given the American people petroleum-based chemicals without their knowledge or consent,” he said.
Food activists and watchdog groups praised the move, calling it a step in the right direction.
The FDA has announced that it will “phase out petroleum-based synthetic dyes from the nation’s food supply” by the end of 2026.
There are no formal agreements or laws in place to formally ban these substances. Instead, HHS and the Food and Drug Administration have a “mutual understanding” with the food industry that colorants will be phased out, Kennedy said.
Kennedy missed the deadline to declare he was autistic.
One thing Kennedy failed to do was meet his previously announced deadline to find a “cure” for autism by September 2025. Many experts opposed this goal because research shows there is no one “cure” for autism spectrum disorders. President Kennedy later rescinded the deadline, saying it would take more time.
But in September 2025, the conversation about autism reached a fever pitch after President Donald Trump said the FDA believes the use of Tylenol and acetaminophen, the active ingredient in many cold and flu medicines, during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of autism. However, many medical experts, citing comprehensive research, say the drug is safe.
A large study published in 2024 that followed nearly 2.5 million children in Sweden for 25 years found that acetaminophen use during pregnancy did not increase the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in children.
Several medical organizations, including the Society of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the American Psychiatric Association, support the use of acetaminophen during pregnancy.
“Based on strong evidence, acetaminophen has been shown to be safe for use during pregnancy when taken as directed,” APA said in a statement after the administration’s announcement.
RFK Jr. Changes Pediatric Vaccine Recommendations
On January 6, HHS announced that it would review the pediatric immunization schedule and revise it to recommend four vaccines, including vaccines for rotavirus, influenza, meningococcal disease, and hepatitis A. These vaccinations are now less of a full recommendation and more of a shared decision between parents and health care providers.
There have also been changes to the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. Previously, two or three doses were recommended depending on age at first vaccination, but now only one dose is recommended.
Last year, the CDC also changed its vaccination recommendations for hepatitis B and COVID-19.
With the hepatitis B vaccine update, the CDC officially ended its long-standing recommendation that all newborns receive the vaccine at birth, leaving the decision to parents in consultation with their health care providers.
The change advances one of President Kennedy’s long-term goals, but public health experts say it could come at the expense of children’s health.
Dr. Andrew D. Racine, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, called the changes “dangerous and unnecessary.”
Michele Slavkoski, executive director of Families Fighting Influenza, added: “The lives of America’s children are now at risk.”
In a statement after the announcement, President Kennedy said the decision “protects children, respects families, and rebuilds trust in public health.”
RFK Jr. Changes US Dietary Guidelines
President Kennedy announced new U.S. dietary guidelines on January 7, although the announcement was later than originally expected.
Recommendations included eating more protein as well as cutting back on sugar and ultra-processed foods. The guidelines also ease restrictions on alcoholic beverages.
“My message as Secretary of Health and Human Services is clear: Eat real food,” Kennedy said.
Many nutrition experts across the aisle praised the emphasis on eating whole foods, but some felt other messages were misguided.
For example, the new guidelines include a new inverted food pyramid, with red meat clearly at the top, but saturated fats found in red meat and dairy products increase the risk of obesity and cardiovascular disease, Dr. Daniel Dunham, medical director at Lenox Hill Hospital, told USA TODAY.
Dunham also addressed the issue of access to fresh food for many Americans.
Kennedy introduced a new vaccine committee
In June 2025, President Kennedy fired all 17 current members of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). ACIP is an independent expert panel that has helped the agency establish vaccine recommendations for more than 60 years. Days later, he appointed a new board that included some vaccine skeptics.
President Kennedy’s move contradicted an earlier promise he made during his confirmation hearing to maintain the current composition of the advisory board.
President Kennedy said at the time that the changes would be a “sweep” that would “restore public confidence in vaccine science.” While some supporters of the Make America Healthy Again movement applauded his decision, former health officials and some medical experts worry that the layoffs will spread mistrust in the public health system and in vaccines that have long been considered safe and effective.
RFK Jr. Cuts HHS Role and Funding
Shortly after confirmation in March 2025, Kennedy announced thousands of layoffs at HHS, with about one in four federal health agency jobs eliminated.
President Kennedy later said that some programs and workers forced out in HHS’s dramatic reorganization would be reinstated, saying they were mistakenly cut.
“People were cut that shouldn’t have been cut,” he told ABC News in May 2025. “We’re bringing them back to work and that was always the plan.”
Contributors: Adrianna Rodriguez, Ken Alltucker, Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy and Mary Walras-Holdridge, america today
