If confirmed by the Senate, Kennedy would head the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which oversees many of the country’s health agencies, from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. made claims during his Senate confirmation hearing on issues including vaccines, pesticides and Lyme disease. Some of them are missing context.

What to know from Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s hearings before the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday and the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions on Thursday.

RFK Jr. claimed he is not “anti-vaccine” and appeared unfamiliar with key aspects of healthcare insurance programs in his confirmation hearing.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was pressed to clarify his views on vaccines, abortion, and public health priorities in his first Senate hearing.

In this week’s edition of InnovationRx, we look at HHS nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s first Senate confirmation hearing, the chaos at the NIH and with federal research funding, new dosages for an Alzheimer’s drug, a major tuberculosis outbreak, and more. To get it in your inbox, subscribe here.

The hearings were packed to capacity with protesters and fans, while the spillover crowd hung out in hallways and overflow rooms.

If approved, Kennedy will control a $1.7 trillion agency that oversees food and hospital inspections, hundreds of health clinics, vaccine recommendations and health insurance for roughly half the country.

Kyra Kennedy, 29, is the youngest daughter of health secretary nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faced intense scrutiny about previous statements at his first confirmation hearing for DHHS secretary.