RFK Jr. Seeks Access to Americans’ Medical Records, June 07

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is pursuing federal government access to most Americans’ medical records to research a link between vaccines and autism. The Department of Health and Human Services is working with state systems to obtain detailed patient information. Public health leaders have raised concerns about the legality of the effort and how the government will protect personal health data, including doctors’ notes and prescription history.

Kennedy’s Push for Medical Data Access

Kennedy told KFF Health News that medical records are key to investigating autism causes, vaccine safety, and chronic diseases. He said he was surprised by broken health record systems when he took office. The HHS is working with state systems that allow hospitals and clinics to exchange detailed, identifiable patient information. Millions of dollars in grant money has flowed to a Nebraska nonprofit assisting Kennedy’s effort, according to state records.

Privacy and Legal Objections Mount

In private meetings, some public health leaders have objected to giving Kennedy’s team access to medical records. They raised doubts about whether the effort is legal or useful. Concerns center on allowing the federal government to view Americans’ medical records, which could include anything from doctors’ notes to prescription history. HHS has offered no public explanation of how it will protect or handle the personal health information it obtains.

Medical Consensus Rejects Vaccine-Autism Link

The World Health Organization and other health agencies worldwide have repeatedly stated that evidence shows vaccines do not cause autism. The medical establishment has studied this connection for decades and flatly rejects it. Kennedy faced blowback last year when he proposed compiling medical records of people with autism to create a federal disease registry. HHS has not publicly announced any new projects involving medical records and autism or vaccine research.

Broader Concerns About Kennedy’s Leadership

Reports show Kennedy arrives at the Department of Health and Human Services around 10 a.m. and leaves by 4 p.m. An Ebola outbreak is spreading in Africa with six Americans already exposed, yet Kennedy has made no public comments about the outbreak in nearly three weeks. Critical positions at HHS sit empty, including the surgeon general role and around half of the 27 institutes and centers at the National Institutes of Health run by acting directors.

Final Thoughts

Kennedy’s medical records initiative raises serious privacy and legal questions while pursuing a vaccine-autism link rejected by global health authorities. The effort signals a shift in federal health policy that may concern investors in healthcare and pharmaceutical companies.

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