A single-source claim that Trump administration officials planned to remove COVID-19 vaccines from the market raised questions about Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s authority over vaccines. The claim cited British cardiologist Aseem Malhotra, who is chief medical adviser at an advocacy group linked to longtime Kennedy allies, though Malhotra is not listed as an administration official. Kennedy has a history of opposing vaccines and previously described the COVID-19 vaccine as "the deadliest vaccine ever made," while also stating that vaccines should remain available to those who benefit. Vaccine law experts note that the administration cannot ban vaccines unilaterally; removing approved vaccines follows a regulated process and could face legal challenges. A White House spokesperson emphasized reliance on rigorous science and called speculative discussion baseless, and HHS declined to comment on potential actions.
The Daily Beast Aug. 25 that "a decision to remove the (COVID-19) vaccine from the U.S. market pending further research will come 'within months,'" citing British cardiologist Dr. Aseem Malhotra. Malhotra is chief medical adviser at Make America Healthy Again Action - an advocacy group run by longtime Kennedy allies. In July, the group launched an advertising campaign supporting Kennedy and President Donald Trump's MAHA goals.
Although there are ways the administration can make COVID-19 vaccines harder for Americans to get, there's a process for taking approved vaccines off the market, and attempts to take vaccines off the market could face legal challenges. "The Administration is relying on gold standard science and is committed to radical transparency to make decisions that affect all Americans," White House spokesman Kush Desai told PolitiFact when asked about The Daily Beast's report that the administration was considering a COVID-19 vaccine ban.
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