RFK Jr. vs. Big Pharma: What Shocking Vaccine Revelations Could Change Everything?

Get your daily dose of health and medicine every weekday with STAT’s free newsletter Morning Rounds. Sign up here.

Good morning and happy Monday. There’s a lot to cover today — thanks for reading.

In a contentious meeting that concluded Friday, federal vaccine advisers voted to significantly change recommendations regarding childhood vaccinations. The panel, appointed by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has decided that the hepatitis B vaccine will no longer be recommended at birth for every baby. This decision contradicts decades of established medical consensus, indicating that the committee may be re-evaluating other vaccines in the future.

The new guideline suggests that parents should discuss with their healthcare providers whether to administer the hepatitis B vaccine at birth—or even at all. If parents choose to vaccinate, the recommendation now advises waiting until the child is at least two months old. Public health experts and infectious disease specialists have expressed concerns, arguing that this approach disregards extensive data showing that the vaccine is both safe and effective.

The meeting featured presentations from various speakers, including prominent vaccine critic and attorney Aaron Siri. Some advisers indicated that rethinking the hepatitis B vaccine could pave the way for future assessments of other vaccines on the immunization schedule. For further insights into how these discussions unfolded, you can read more from STAT’s Daniel Payne and Chelsea Cirruzzo.

On another front, a recent study published in JAMA Network Open found that the risk of dying from COVID-19 was 74% lower among vaccinated individuals in France aged 18 to 59, compared to their unvaccinated counterparts. Researchers analyzed health data from over four years, encompassing more than 22 million vaccinated people and 6 million unvaccinated individuals. Their findings revealed no significant mortality risk associated with the vaccines, underscoring their effectiveness.

Meanwhile, health insurers are grappling with skyrocketing drug costs this year. Financial documents reviewed by STAT’s Bob Herman indicate that some insurers have spent more on pharmaceuticals in the first nine months of 2025 than they did in all of 2024, with expenses exceeding 20% over the previous year. A major contributor to this surge is the rise of GLP-1 weight loss medications, which has prompted insurers to reconsider whether to continue covering these treatments.

The analysis involved 14 major health insurance subsidiaries and revealed that these companies are projected to collect $170 billion in premium revenue this year. Bob Herman's investigation offers a closer look at what these financial strains mean for insurers and for patients alike.

In a related concern, funding cuts from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) are jeopardizing the next generation of scientists. Luis Rodriguez, a 44-year-old molecular biologist, found himself in a precarious situation when federal funds he relied on for his research at George Washington University failed to materialize. The MOSAIC grant, aimed at supporting early-career researchers, was terminated during the Trump administration, largely due to its focus on increasing diversity among NIH grant recipients. Rodriguez has had to scale back hiring and adjust his research goals as a result. This situation highlights broader implications for the scientific workforce, as detailed in STAT’s ongoing series, "American Science, Shattered."

Additionally, a new study has raised alarms about the impact of abortion bans on emergency medical care in Texas. Since the Supreme Court struck down the constitutional right to abortion in 2022, experts have worried about access to lifesaving obstetric care. The study, published in JAMA Health Forum, showed a small but notable increase in violations of the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) related to obstetric care in Texas, where abortions are banned without exceptions for the health of the pregnant person. The increase amounted to about one additional violation per quarter since 2018, although the authors caution that this may just be the tip of the iceberg in terms of unreported cases.

Finally, the rapidly evolving field of artificial intelligence (AI) in medicine is sparking significant debate. At the recent annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America, experts discussed whether AI could eventually interpret chest X-rays independently. AI technology is advancing quickly, with some companies already using it to draft reports traditionally created by human radiologists. While the current consensus is to keep humans involved in the process, some experts advocate for a more autonomous role for AI in radiology.

As the landscape of health and medicine continues to evolve, it's clear that both opportunities and challenges lie ahead. From vaccine recommendations to the burgeoning role of AI, each development will undoubtedly have far-reaching implications for public health and the healthcare system as a whole.