WASHINGTON — Robert F Kennedy Jr, a vaccine critic who has pledged to tackle chronic disease, was named US Health Secretary on Thursday (Feb 13) after overcoming resistance from the medical establishment and members of Congress with promises to limit his role in vaccination policy.

As Kennedy was sworn into the post, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order to establish a commission to Make America Healthy Again, that would investigate chronic illness and deliver an action plan to fight childhood diseases.

Kennedy said on Thursday his first priorities would be around "radical transparency" and removing those in the government who had conflicts of interest.

"For 20 years, I've gotten up every morning on my knees and prayed that god would put me in a position where I could end the childhood chronic disease epidemic in this country. On Aug 23 of last year, god sent me President Trump," Kennedy said, referring to when he dropped his independent presidential bid and endorsed the Republican candidate.

The US Senate earlier on Thursday voted to confirm Kennedy 52 to 48, with Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky the lone Republican joining all 47 Democrats to vote against Kennedy, who had made pledges to protect existing vaccination programmes in a bid to secure votes of hesitant lawmakers.

Kennedy will now oversee multiple high-profile agencies, including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Kennedy, 71, is an environmental lawyer who has long sown doubts about the safety and efficacy of vaccines that have helped curb disease and prevented millions of deaths for decades.

He will now run the Health and Human Services (HHS) department that directs more than US$3 trillion (S$4 trillion) in healthcare spending. Also under HHS purview are the Medicare and Medicaid programmes that provide health insurance for over 140 million Americans and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

In addition to pledging to work to end chronic disease, Kennedy has said he wants to break any ties between employees at the US drugs regulator and industry. Opponents argued that he is unfit for the job because of his prominent role in the anti-vaccine movement.

Kennedy's path to confirmation was fraught and did not always appear to have the necessary votes among Republicans. He had to overcome his past as a life-long Democrat, his previous views in support of abortion, as well as his stance on vaccines. Some prominent members of his own family, including cousin Caroline Kennedy, also urged his rejection.

Ultimately, Senate Republicans closed ranks as they have for every Trump cabinet selection so far.

After the vote, Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat from Massachusetts, said putting Kennedy in charge of the nation's public health was a "huge mistake".

"When dangerous diseases resurface and people can't access lifesaving vaccines, all Americans will suffer," Warren said.

The Trump White House has said it plans to drastically shrink the size of the federal government. Kennedy has said he wants to get rid of many employees at both the FDA and NIH.

Stephen Ubl, CEO of Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America — the top industry lobby group — said drugmakers are eager to work with the Trump administration.

Kennedy commitments

Democrats accused Kennedy over two days of contentious confirmation hearings of being financially vested in the anti-vaccine movement and peddling conspiracy theories to sow doubt about lifesaving medicines, assertions he rejected.

Republican Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, a doctor with decades of work in community-based health, was seen as a potential swing vote against Kennedy after expressing wariness about the nominee's vaccine views.

After facing an intense political pressure campaign — including billionaire Elon Musk's threats to support primary opponents of any Republican who obstructed Trump's nominees — Cassidy, who is up for reelection next year, said he had gotten the necessary reassurances to vote in line with his party.

Cassidy said he received commitments from Kennedy that he would not remove government health agency statements that vaccines do not cause autism. Kennedy has long espoused a debunked link between vaccines and autism despite scientific evidence to the contrary.

Kennedy also committed to work within the existing vaccine approval and safety monitoring systems and to honour decisions by the CDC's outside panel of experts, known as the Advisory Committee on Immunisation Practices, without changes.

Kennedy has also called for banning hundreds of food additives and chemicals and for getting ultra-processed foods out of school lunches.

His political future seemed uncertain last summer as his independent presidential campaign faltered. In August, he ended the campaign and endorsed Trump in exchange for a role in Trump's administration.

The deal brought Trump extra support in the presidential election.

After the endorsement, Kennedy supporters flocked to back the Republican, trusting that Kennedy would be given a second political chance if Trump returned to the White House.

Source: Reuters