Senate votes man who opposed coronavirus vaccines for Health Secretary

The Senate approved Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.

This was a victory for US President Donald Trump after Kennedy faced a deep reckoning for his controversial views on vaccines and public health policy.

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The vote was 52-48. Former Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell was the only one to vote against Kennedy's confirmation, writes cnn.

The confirmation vote highlights the extent of Trump's influence over the Republican Senate majority, as a group of controversial nominees who faced questions about whether they could be confirmed - including Kennedy, Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense and Tulsi Gabbard as Director of National Intelligence - were approved by Senate Republicans for senior positions in the Trump administration.

Kennedy will now serve as one of the nation's top public health officials. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which Kennedy will lead, includes several key federal health agencies, including the Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

During confirmation hearings on Capitol Hill, Kennedy denied that he was anti-vaccine, telling senators that he is "pro-safety."

He went on to say that “I believe vaccines play an important role in healthcare.”

It's not the first time Kennedy has said he's not "anti-vaccine," but a 2023 CNN fact-check highlighted that, despite these claims, Kennedy has been one of the most prominent anti-vaccine activists in the country and has used false and misleading claims to undermine public confidence in vaccines that are truly safe. /Telegraph/