RFK Jr. seeks to peek at Americans' medical records for clues on autism and vaccines

Article excerpt

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is seeking federal access to most Americans' medical records to investigate a link between vaccines and autism. The medical establishment has studied this question for decades and found no causal connection. Kennedy's push represents a significant policy shift, as the scientific consensus firmly rejects the vaccine-autism link, a theory that originated from a now-retracted 1998 study. The initiative raises questions about data privacy, research methodology, and how the government will handle findings that may contradict its stated investigative goal.