US Health Dept. Puts Flu Season on DIY Mode — Gloves Off, Tissues Ready

KEY POINTS

•Robert F. Kennedy Jr. leads the US Health Department amid vaccine skepticism and confusing mixed messages.
•Flu vaccine this year poorly matches dominant strains, coinciding with the lowest August-October vaccination rates in six years.
•Less than 15% of American adults took the Covid-19 booster shot this year, including under a third of seniors.
•Federal trust in the CDC fell from 85% in March 2020 to 50% in October 2025, hampering public health efforts.

In a brilliant move worthy of a reality TV twist, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. took charge of the US Department of Health and Human Services right before a flu season showdown. His team recommended removing ingredients from flu vaccines that barely ever appeared, then ghosted any clear Covid shot guidance in favor of 'individual decision making,' because who needs collective science in 2025? The newly minted flu shot badly mismatched this season’s strains, while flu vaccine take-up hit a 6-year low from August to October. Covid boosters are now rarer than a polite Twitter debate, with less than 15% of adults boosted and under a third of seniors covered. Meanwhile, the CDC lost trust points faster than a dropped call, plummeting from 85% in March 2020 to a shaky 50% this October. Plus, measles rates skyrocket in West Texas while federal funds vanish, the Milwaukee lead crisis rages without Washington’s help thanks to firings, and whooping cough is back, while Kennedy stays silent — probably campaigning for ‘Most Disruptive Health Official’ award.