Health Secretary RFK Jr. visits Nebraska, praises UNMC’s Hantavirus response

The U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., toured the University of Nebraska Medical Center on Thursday, praising its response to the Hantavirus outbreak that brought 18 Americans to quarantine there in May.

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RFK Jr. visits Nebraska, praises UNMC’s Hantavirus response

OMAHA, Neb. —

U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. toured the University of Nebraska Medical Center on Thursday, praising its response to the Hantavirus outbreak that brought 18 Americans to quarantine there in May.

“One of the reasons I wanted to come out here today was just to see this legendary place that’s kind of the back of the table firsthand,” Kennedy said.

Kennedy and Gov. Jim Pillen praised the partnership between the federal and state governments in securing health around the country.

“This is the global health security center,” Pillen said.

Some health experts have warned that the massive budget and staffing cuts under Kennedy’s leadership have left the country more unprepared for infectious disease outbreaks. HHS has shed more than 10,000 positions since last year.

“We’re more prepared than we’ve ever been before,” Kennedy said, commending his agency’s work on cyclospora and measles. “With the measles outbreak, which is a global outbreak, we’ve done better than any country in the world.”

ADDITIONAL COVERAGE: Cyclospora cases climb in Douglas County as health officials link outbreak to iceberg lettuce

Kennedy also praised the new immunization schedule recommended by the federal government, which brought guidelines down from 17 to 11.

“The new vaccine schedule will make our children more healthy, as we have the unhealthiest kids in the world,” he said.

That move drew sharp criticism from many medical groups in the state, including the Nebraska Infectious Disease Society. That group, in a joint statement with others, said, “These changes depart from the rigorous, evidence-based processes that have guided vaccine recommendations for decades. Bypassing established scientific review and expert guidance for decisions of such importance unnecessarily endangers the health of Nebraska’s children and communities.”

Reporters asked University of Nebraska president Dr. Jeffrey Gold if he agreed with the recommendations.

“My advice to parents, and I get asked this all the time, is to speak to your trusted health care professional about what they think is best for their child,” Gold said.

Pillen and Kennedy discussed their work to roll out new Medicaid work requirements. Nebraska is the first in the nation to make those changes in a move that could impact coverage for tens of thousands of people.

“We have 50,000 Nebraskans that, maybe, have opportunities to have skill set training and to be able to help their families, and to learn their work is really noble,” Pillen said.

Kennedy said tackling obesity and unhealthy eating is a core focus for his agency. He lauded Nebraska for being one of the first states to attempt to block the use of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for candy and soda, though that’s tied up in court now.

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