U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is facing intensified criticism from the medical community after reviving the long-debunked claim that the hepatitis B vaccine increases autism risk. Infectious-disease specialists and pediatric groups pointed to decades of peer-reviewed research showing no link between any childhood vaccine and autism. The backlash came as an associate of Kennedy told the Daily Beast that he and President Donald Trump are discussing removing COVID-19 vaccines from the U.S. market “within months.” Although the administration has not confirmed the plan, the report has alarmed physicians who warn that curbing access could reverse progress against the virus. Doctors and the American Academy of Pediatrics continue to urge parents to follow established immunization schedules as the school year begins, arguing that Kennedy’s rhetoric and reported moves inside HHS risk undermining public confidence and jeopardizing protections against preventable diseases.