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

By: Darius Tahir, KFF Health News, Amanda Seitz, KFF Health News

Outlets: South Dakota Searchlight

Published: June 5, 2026

Words: 2,130

Last Updated: 6 days, 16 hours ago

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U.S. health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is pursuing federal government access to most Americans’ medical records, in a quest to research a link between vaccines and autism — a connection the medical establishment studied for decades and flatly rejects.

The Department of Health and Human Services is seeking data from little-known state systems that allow hospitals and clinics to exchange detailed, identifiable patient information, KFF Health News has learned.

In private meetings, some public …

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