美国参议院卫生部长刚刚证实小罗伯特·F·肯尼迪周二，他告诉一个挤满联邦卫生工作者的房间，他计划“调查”儿童接种疫苗和抗抑郁药物的时间是否是美国慢性病问题的几个“可能因素”之一。
“没有什么是不能接受的，”肯尼迪周二告诉大批人群。
在卫生与公众服务部总部进行的竞选式演讲仅面向工作人员，不过会分发一个直播链接。随后，员工们被邀请去见他，一封发给HHS员工的电子邮件邀请函上写着“欢迎自拍!”
肯尼迪提供与工作人员的自拍是在包括HHS在内的整个联邦政府正在进行广泛的解雇和辞职的情况下进行的。该机构官员没有提供解雇的细节，包括可能产生的影响。
据知情人士透露，上周晚些时候，美国疾病控制和预防中心约700名员工被解雇。
肯尼迪周二敦促工作人员保持“开放的心态”，因为他计划将该机构的大量资源用于重新审视被认为是既定科学的问题。
肯尼迪说:“我们将召集各种观点的代表，研究慢性病急剧上升的原因。”"我们将要研究的一些可能的因素在形式上是禁忌的，或者没有被充分地审视."
然后，他列出了一系列需要调查的“可能因素”，包括儿童疫苗接种计划和“SSRI和其他精神药物”，指的是联邦政府批准的帮助治疗抑郁症和焦虑症等疾病的药物。
研究并不认为疫苗或SSRIs是自闭症或肥胖等慢性疾病的罪魁祸首。批评者认为肯尼迪的言论可能会引起更多的怀疑和公众对这些药物的不信任。
他的清单上还有电磁辐射、除草剂和杀虫剂、超加工食品、人造食品、过敏、微塑料和用于生产不粘锅的长效化学品。科学家们正在积极探索环境毒素可能对健康造成的影响，一些研究表明，它们可能在慢性疾病中发挥作用。
肯尼迪重新考虑儿童疫苗接种计划的意愿似乎是与他在参议院的证词不一致一月份，他告诉持怀疑态度的立法者，他明确支持联邦政府的建议。
“我支持疫苗。我支持疫苗计划。我支持好的科学，”肯尼迪上个月作证说。
给婴儿和幼儿接种疫苗被广泛推荐作为一种方法，以防止儿童接触到麻疹等威胁生命的疾病，并保护学校中的其他儿童。
肯尼迪此前曾坚持被揭穿的主张疫苗导致自闭症，尽管许多大规模的研究没有发现联系。
RFK Jr. tells staff he will 'investigate' childhood vaccine schedule, anti-depression drugs
Freshly confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Health SecretaryRobert F. Kennedy Jr.told a room packed with federal health workers on Tuesday that he plans to "investigate" whether the timing of childhood vaccinations and anti-depression medications are among several "possible factors" in the nation's problem with chronic diseases.
"Nothing is going to be off limits," Kennedy told the large crowd Tuesday.
The campaign-style speech at the Department of Health and Human Services headquarters was intended for staff only, although a livestream link was circulated. Staff was invited to meet him afterward, and an emailed invitation sent earlier to HHS workers noted "selfies are welcome!"
Kennedy's offer of selfies with staff came amid widespread firings and resignations across the federal government were underway, including at HHS. Agency officials have not provided details on the firings, including what the impact there could be.
According to people familiar with the effort, some 700 employees at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were fired late last week.
Kennedy urged staff to keep an "open mind" on Tuesday as he planned to turn the agency's vast resources to revisit matters considered as settled science.
"We will convene representatives of all viewpoints to study the causes for the drastic rise in chronic disease," Kennedy said. "Some of the possible factors we will investigate were formally taboo or insufficiently scrutinized."
He then gave a list of these "possible factors" to investigate including the childhood vaccine schedule and "SSRI and other psychiatric drugs," referring to federally approved drugs that help treat such conditions as depression and anxiety.
Studies do not suggest vaccines or SSRIs are to blame for chronic illnesses, such as autism or obesity. Critics argue Kennedy's rhetoric could create more doubt and public mistrust of these medicines.
Also on his list was electromagnetic radiation, herbicides and pesticides, ultra-processed foods, artificial food, allergies, microplastics and long-lasting chemicals used in the production of non-stick pans. Scientists are actively exploring the possible health impacts of environmental toxins, with some studies suggesting they could play a role in chronic illnesses.
Kennedy's willingness to revisit the childhood vaccine schedule appears to beat odds with his Senate testimonyin January in which he told skeptical lawmakers that he specifically supported federal recommendations.
"I support vaccines. I support the vaccine schedule. I support good science," Kennedy testified last month.
Vaccinating infants and young children is widely recommended as a way to prevent kids from being exposed to life-threatening diseases like measles and to protect other children in school.
Kennedy has previouslypushed a debunked claimthat vaccines cause autism, despite numerous large-scale studies finding no connection.
