Trump health pick under attack for vaccine views in Senate hearing

Mr Robert F. Kennedy Jr, President Donald Trump's pick to lead the top US health agency, came under attack at a Senate confirmation hearing on Jan 29, with Democratic lawmakers accusing him of covering up his anti-vaccine views and embracing conspiracy theories to dissuade use of life-saving medicine.

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WASHINGTON - Mr Robert F. Kennedy Jr, President Donald Trump's pick to lead the top US health agency, came under attack at a Senate confirmation hearing on Jan 29, with Democratic lawmakers accusing him of covering up his anti-vaccine views and embracing conspiracy theories to dissuade use of life-saving medicine.

Mr Kennedy sought to defend his record to the Senate Finance Committee, promising lawmakers that he was not against vaccines, and saying he would address rapidly increasing rates of chronic disease as well as follow Mr Trump's direction on abortion.

"I believe that vaccines play a critical role in healthcare. All of my kids are vaccinated," said Mr Kennedy, 70, who attended the hearing with his wife Cheryl Hines and some of his children.

"We have the highest chronic disease burden of any country in the world... This is an existential threat."

If confirmed, Mr Kennedy would run the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which oversees more than US$3 trillion (S$4 trillion) in healthcare spending, including agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration and the agency in charge of Medicare and Medicaid health insurance programmes covering tens of millions of Americans.

The environmental lawyer is seen as a controversial pick on both sides of the aisle chiefly for having cast doubt on the safety and efficacy of vaccines.

During their questioning, Democratic senators brought up past statements from Mr Kennedy made over decades, including that no vaccine was safe and effective.