U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced plans to reform the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP), pledging to address what he calls inefficiencies and corruption within the system. Kennedy, a long-time vaccine skeptic and former vaccine injury lawyer, criticized the program’s “Vaccine Court” for failing to quickly and fairly compensate individuals harmed by vaccines.
In a post on X, Kennedy said he is working with Attorney General Pam Bondi to restore the program to its “original congressional intent,” arguing that its current structure unfairly positions the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which he leads, as the defendant rather than vaccine manufacturers.
This move continues Kennedy’s sweeping efforts to reshape U.S. vaccine and health policy. In June, he dismissed all 17 members of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, replacing them with seven appointees, including figures with histories of questioning vaccine safety. One of these members previously earned significant fees as an expert witness against Merck’s Gardasil vaccine, a case in which Kennedy played a key role.
Kennedy is also reportedly considering removing members of another influential health advisory panel, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. His tenure at HHS has intensified scrutiny due to his longstanding promotion of vaccine skepticism, including discredited claims linking vaccines to autism and false statements about fetal cells in the measles vaccine.
The announcement comes amid one of the worst U.S. measles outbreaks in decades, further fueling debate over vaccine safety, public health policy, and Kennedy’s leadership approach.