Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s potential influence over the American health care industry is being met with a lot of anxiety, especially by those who work directly with patients.
Kennedy, a vocal vaccine skeptic, said Trump would give him a key role in the new administration. However, his exact title or duties have not been specified.
Dr. Owais Durrani, an emergency medical physician in Houston, told Scripps News he's concerned about whether Kennedy has the qualifications to shape health care policy.
"When it comes to health care and other scientific institutions in our country, it's based on data, science and research. And anytime you start to question those without anything that is really backed in data and science, it's honestly going to lead to a loss in life."
In an interview with MSNBC on Wednesday, Kennedy said he's prepared to make changes to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
"In some categories, there are entire departments, like the nutrition department at the FDA, that have to go," he said.
President-elect Donald Trump said on the campaign trail that he was going to let Kennedy "go wild on health."
Durrani cautioned that making major changes, like dismantling parts of the FDA, could have wide-reaching implications.
"When I hear things like going 'wild' on health care, dismantling the FDA, those are the core pillars of how society functions and how we are healthy," Durrani stated.
Durrani added that he's concerned about misinformation being amplified by people like Kennedy, who has falsely linked vaccines to autism.
"Some people are going to fall for those things, especially when you have a megaphone like this gentleman does at the highest levels of government. So, yes, it gives me a lot of concern," he said.
