Two Health Announcements, Diverging Paths to Trust

Emily Oster weighs two January HHS moves under RFK Jr.: a controversial overhaul of the childhood vaccine schedule and a streamlined set of dietary guidelines. She argues the vaccine changes lack new safety evidence and risk eroding trust, while the dietary guidelines largely reflect prior data and could improve public understanding if communicated clearly. The piece underscores how trust in public health is fragile, and linking skeptical vaccine messaging with seemingly reasonable dietary guidance creates a difficult messaging environment.