WASHINGTON — The Trump administration on Tuesday directed federal public health and environmental agencies to prioritize investigations into vaccine injuries, prescription drug use and the causes of autism in a 20-page “Make America Healthy Again” report overseen by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
The report, developed by a MAHA commission that included Kennedy and other cabinet members, urges a recasting of the federal program for investigating vaccine injuries and calls for more rigorous government scrutiny of reported adverse events. It promises to reduce childhood disease and improve child health but does not set out concrete regulatory changes or a clear timeline for implementing an overhaul of the nation’s public health systems.
Kennedy, at the report unveiling with administration officials, said the government would welcome reports of vaccine injuries and learn from them to “improve the safety of these products.” He also asserted that physicians are not currently compensated for filing complaints about vaccine injuries. The document says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will no longer be limited to investigating only injuries reported by individuals or providers and urges a broader approach to detection and analysis.
The report’s release comes amid turmoil at the CDC after Kennedy abruptly fired his hand-picked director and several top leaders resigned, citing disagreements over immunization guidance. A bipartisan group of senators has publicly raised concerns about Kennedy’s actions and his anti-vaccine rhetoric, and lawmakers questioned him at hearings last week about his leadership of the nation’s public health agencies.
Among the report’s research recommendations is a directive for the National Institutes of Health to link multiple datasets — including insurance claims, electronic health records and wearables data — into a single integrated resource for studying the causes of chronic disease and disorders such as autism. The final text, slightly revised from an earlier leaked draft, also reiterates Kennedy’s pledge to identify autism’s causes, an outcome he had said would be revealed by September; the administration has not provided further details on the research teams or timelines.
Scientists who have studied autism say the disorder has no single proven cause. Research points to a mix of genetic factors and possible contributors such as paternal age, maternal health conditions like diabetes, maternal weight and exposures to certain chemicals. The report’s call for expansive data-linking is likely to raise questions about privacy protections and the scope of data access.
President Donald Trump signed a memorandum Tuesday directing increased enforcement of pharmaceutical advertising across television, websites and social media. Administration officials said they would send “hundreds” of letters to drug companies that have run potentially misleading ads. The MAHA report specifically urges heightened oversight of prescription drug advertising, with attention to promotions by social media influencers and telehealth companies.
The American Academy of Pediatrics criticized the report, saying it omits major drivers of poor child health and lacks implementation details. “It lacks details on how the Administration plans to address those issues and omits key drivers that harm children’s health, including gun violence and environmental hazards,” said AAP President Susan J. Kressly. She warned that administration proposals, coupled with prior cuts to federal health programs including Medicaid, could worsen outcomes for children.
The commission behind the MAHA report had pledged “radical transparency” but did not hold a public meeting before releasing the document. The report assigns much of the proposed research to the NIH even as the agency faces a proposed 40% budget cut in the administration’s broader spending plans. The administration provided no detailed plan for regulatory changes or an implementation schedule, leaving open questions about how the report’s recommendations will be translated into policy.
Associated Press writer Matthew Perrone contributed to this report.