Bill Cassidy Is Already Pressing RFK Jr. on Vaccine Policy

The doctor and senator said he plans to ask the health secretary about the cancellation of an important flu vaccine meeting.

Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. talks with Sen. Bill Cassidy.

Rod Lamkey/AP

Two weeks into Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s tenure as health secretary, some of the Republican senators who voted for him already have questions about how he’s handling the nation’s health policy.

“I just want to know what the rationale is,” Sen. Bill Cassidy told NOTUS when asked about the recent cancellation of a Food and Drug Administration committee meeting intended to pick which flu strains to use in next year’s flu shot. He said he plans to ask Kennedy during a scheduled call on Friday about the canceled meeting.

During his hearings, Kennedy downplayed his history as an anti-vaccine advocate and said he would not interfere with the country’s vaccine infrastructure. Those commitments helped him win over Cassidy and other Republicans with reservations about his record. But his promises already seem to be wearing thin.