Kennedy Faces Backlash from MAHA Allies Over Vaccine Policies

As the midterm elections approach, the health secretary is shifting focus to 'real food,' angering some of his staunchest anti-vaccine supporters.

Published on Mar. 2, 2026

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Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s campaign to give vaccine skeptics more control over the bureaucracy overseeing inoculations has alienated many Americans and outraged public health experts. Some of Kennedy's most zealous anti-vaccine followers now accuse him of not going far enough, as millions of children still received Covid shots under his watch and vaccine manufacturers remain protected from liability claims. Influential vaccine skeptics are departing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and some are vowing to desert the Republican Party in the midterm elections if a new mRNA flu shot is approved.

Why it matters

Kennedy's vaccine policies have driven down the use of safe and effective vaccines, leading to a resurgence of diseases like measles and whooping cough. His supporters' anger threatens to undermine the Republican Party in the upcoming midterm elections, as they feel betrayed by Kennedy's perceived moderation on vaccine issues.

The details

Despite Kennedy's campaign to dismantle the American vaccine program, regulators have reversed course on some decisions, such as reviewing a new mRNA flu shot from Moderna. This has strengthened the belief among Kennedy's most zealous anti-vaccine followers that he has not gone far enough, as millions of children still received Covid shots and vaccine manufacturers remain protected from liability claims. Influential vaccine skeptics are departing the CDC, and some are vowing to desert the Republican Party if the mRNA flu shot is approved.

  • In December, the FDA received a petition from Children's Health Defense, the anti-vaccine nonprofit founded by Kennedy, to revoke the licenses for the Pfizer and Moderna Covid shots.
  • In December, Representative Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, said: 'Take the jabs off the market.'

The players

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

The health secretary who has campaigned to give vaccine skeptics more control over the bureaucracy overseeing inoculations.

Derrick Wynne

A 35-year-old former Army soldier who lost his military benefits and moved in with his girlfriend's parents after being discharged in 2022 for refusing a Covid shot.

Toby Rogers

A vaccine opponent recently named to a federal autism advisory committee.

Jeffrey Tucker

The president of the Brownstone Institute, a nonprofit formed in response to Covid restrictions that worked closely with scientists now in key Trump administration roles.

Mary Talley Bowden

An ear, nose and throat doctor who has supported using the drug ivermectin to treat Covid and has campaigned for pulling Covid vaccines from the market.

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What they’re saying

“If the Moderna mRNA flu shot is approved, the medical freedom movement will abandon the Republican Party in the midterm elections. That's not a threat, that's a promise.”

— Toby Rogers, Vaccine opponent recently named to a federal autism advisory committee (Online post)

“It is beyond belief that these shots are still being given.”

— Mary Talley Bowden, Ear, nose and throat doctor (Interview)

“I doubt he would have risen to prominence and to power without our backing, and he has sort of turned his back on us.”

— Mary Talley Bowden, Ear, nose and throat doctor (Interview)

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

Kennedy's vaccine policies have alienated many Americans and outraged public health experts, raising concerns about the resurgence of diseases like measles and whooping cough. His perceived moderation on vaccine issues has also angered his staunchest anti-vaccine supporters, threatening to undermine the Republican Party in the upcoming midterm elections.