The health secretary also said his department is studying how vaccines may cause autism.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has advised new parents to research vaccines recommended for their children, as he also disclosed that health officials are looking into how some children start experiencing symptoms of autism shortly after vaccination.
During an April 28 town hall with Phil McGraw, also known as Dr. Phil, a mother asked Kennedy what his advice would be to new mothers with regard to vaccines.
LIVE TOWNHALL: Dr. Phil and RFK Jr. – Trump's First 100 Days. https://t.co/Nf7fi8TbmK
— Dr. Phil (@DrPhil) April 29, 2025
“I would say that we live in a democracy, and part of the responsibility of being a parent is to do your own research,” Kennedy said. “You research the baby stroller, you research the foods that they’re getting, and you need to research the medicines that they’re taking as well.”
Kennedy, who heads the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), said before becoming health secretary that no vaccines are safe. During his confirmation hearings, he described himself as “pro-safety” and not “anti-vaccine.” “I believe vaccines have saved millions of lives and play a critical role in health care,” he said at one point.
About one-third of respondents to a Gallup survey in 2021 said that they do their own research when their doctor gives them important medical advice.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is part of HHS, currently recommends that children receive 12 vaccine doses in their first four months of life, and dozens more before they become adults. Many of the vaccines are required to attend school.
The CDC’s last report on the four required vaccinations found that coverage declined between the 2019–2020 and 2022–2023 school years, while the exemption rate increased.
Additionally, just 13 percent of children have received the currently available COVID-19 vaccines, according to CDC data.
Kennedy confirmed during the town hall that he’s considering removing COVID-19 vaccines from the childhood vaccination schedule.
“We’re seeing a lot of adverse events from the vaccine—particularly in children—myocarditis, pericarditis, even strokes. … American people are trusting us to make a good risk-benefit judgment when we recommend these products, and we need to go back and look at that recommendation,” he said.
Kennedy also said that officials are examining whether there is a link between autism and vaccines.
