President Trump is reportedly dissatisfied with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for not taking more aggressive action to reduce childhood vaccine recommendations.

U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is reportedly facing pressure from President Trump to further reduce federal childhood vaccine recommendations. According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, the president has expressed disappointment that Kennedy has not taken more significant steps to confirm a link between vaccines and autism.

Presidential criticism of Kennedy

The report states that President Trump has become fixated on the claim that vaccines cause autism and views scaling back childhood vaccinations as a way to secure a legacy. In May, the president reportedly criticized Kennedy for having “the yips,” suggesting the secretary was hesitant to act on his anti-vaccine agenda. By June, Trump reportedly vented to Kennedy in the Oval Office that his actions were insufficient.

Kennedy's actions as Health Secretary

Despite the president's reported frustration, Kennedy has implemented several changes to federal vaccine policy. He overhauled a key vaccine advisory committee with anti-vaccine allies, who subsequently removed recommendations for the birth dose of the hepatitis B vaccine and the MMRV combination shot. Additionally, Kennedy reduced the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule to align with Denmark's, directed the CDC to stop promoting seasonal flu vaccines via prepaid advertisements, and edited a CDC website to link vaccines to autism.