RFK is in charge of flu season — and trouble may be ahead

Sunday, November 30, 2025 -With Robert F. Kennedy Jr. now leading the nation’s public‑health apparatus, the upcoming flu season is shaping up under fresh policy decisions that have raised concern among many health experts. 

Under his watch, the vaccine advisory panel — newly re‑constituted — recommended phasing out flu vaccines containing the preservative thimerosal, a move critics say could reduce access to affordable, multi‑dose shots.

At the same time, scientists warn that this flu season may be especially severe. A mutated strain of influenza A (H3N2) that gained ground in the Southern Hemisphere during its winter is already spreading rapidly, with antigenic changes that make prior immunity — including from vaccines — less effective. The risk: flu may spread faster, infect more people, and drive high‑risk groups to hospitals in greater numbers.

The combination of these factors — policy shifts at the top, possible reductions in vaccine availability, and a more aggressive flu virus — has many public‑health professionals and citizens bracing for trouble. For the U.S., this could mean a particularly difficult flu season. 

Experts say the most effective action remains urging vaccinations (with available safe vaccines), boosting preparedness in hospitals, and encouraging preventive behaviors such as masking, early testing, and staying home when sick.