Not so long ago, Americans, particularly those raising young children, looked to the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) for guidance for things like childhood inoculations and preventive measures for contagious viruses like influenza or COVID.
Adults living with communicable diseases like HIV/AIDS, which was once a death sentence before medical breakthroughs occurred, routinely looked for and followed recommendations that allowed them to thrive and to live long, productive lives.
Families also looked to HHS as well as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to help shape their diets and daily regimen of foods that would help ward off things like cancer, obesity, and heart disease.
All that changed after President Donald Trump selected Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Congress confirmed him as HHS secretary on February 13, 2025. Since Kennedy took the helm, several health-related trends and policy shifts have occurred which critics and medical experts identify as significant declines in public health.
Even more troubling – Kennedy has thrown scientific evidence out the window, instead promoting a host of conspiracy theories and using them as justifications for many of his decisions while ignoring the recommendations of health experts.
African Americans, whether young or old, with or without underage children, should be particularly alarmed, given the profound disparities in health challenges found in Black and white patients, including hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, asthma and maternal/infant mortality.
Because of Kennedy’s ineptitude, since his tenure began and through early 2026, the following health-related declines and concerns have been documented.
- Rise in vaccine-preventable diseases like measles which, in 2025, experienced its worst year for outbreaks in over three decades.
- Weakened immunization schedules where in early 2026, the CDC reduced routine coverage for children from 17 diseases to 11, increasing confusion and lowering immunity rates.
- Eroding preventive services like screenings for cancer and other conditions which if detected early can often make the difference between life and death; and
- A controversial nutrition policy which reversed decades of medical advice which experts believe will increase the risks for cardiovascular disease because of the shift to promoting red meat and full-fat dairy consumption.
Kennedy’s policies and inflammatory rhetoric on Black communities serve as a reason public health advocates anticipate even more detrimental effects on health equity and outcomes, and why African Americans should look to other sources for advice on best health practices.
During his Senate confirmation hearings, when Kennedy asserted, “We should not be giving Black people the same vaccine schedule that’s given to whites because their immune system is better than ours,” U.S. Sen. Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD) clapped back.
“With all due respect, that is so dangerous,” she replied.
African Americans should be wary of Kennedy’s policies and recommendations, advocate for themselves in medical spaces, and look for culturally competent practitioners when seeking care.