Robert F Kennedy Jr, anti-vaccine activist and one of President Donald Trump’s most controversial Cabinet picks, will serve as the US’s new health secretary.
The Senate voted 52-48 to confirm Kennedy as Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services on Thursday morning.
Only Senator Mitch McConnell, a polio survivor who has advocated for vaccines, broke from his Republican colleagues and voted against confirming Kennedy.
During his intense confirmation hearings, Kennedy denied being anti-vaccine and instead called himself ‘pro-safety’.
‘I believe that vaccines play a critical role in health care,’ he told senators.
However, Kennedy for years has pushed false claims to discourage vaccine use, making him one of the most prominent anti-vaccine voices in America.
McConnell shortly after Kennedy was confirmed stated: ‘Individuals, parents, and families have a right to push for a healthier nation and demand the best possible scientific guidance on preventing and treating illness.
‘But a record of trafficking in dangerous conspiracy theories and eroding trust in public health institutions does not entitle Mr Kennedy to lead these important efforts.’
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