RFK Jr. is on the defensive over his vaccine views as a key confirmation vote hangs in the balance

WASHINGTON — Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s long record of doubting the safety of childhood vaccinations persisted as a flash point for him Thursday in a confirmation hearing where senators, including a key Republican, shared intensely personal details about the impact vaccine skepticism had on their lives.

In one response, Kennedy refused to flatly reject a long-discredited theory that vaccines cause autism, despite years of studies and research that have found they do not.

His vaccine views could jeopardize his standing with just a few Republicans and has certainly not helped him win over any votes among Democrats in his bid to become health secretary. If all Democrats reject Kennedy’s nomination, he can only afford to lose three Republican votes.

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