{
  "id": 3234625,
  "title": "US lawmakers question Health Secretary Kennedy on vaccine settlement disclosures",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/25/us-lawmakers-question-health-secretary-kennedy-on-vaccine-settlement",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-08-25T09:46:56.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "New Straits Times",
    "slug": "new-straits-times",
    "url": "https://www.nst.com.my/world/world/2026/08/1518588/us-lawmakers-question-health-secretary-kennedy-vaccine-settlement"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A coalition of Democratic senators has expressed concerns over Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s recent clarification of how he disposed of his financial stake in a lawsuit involving Merck's Gardasil vaccine, according to a letter reviewed by Reuters. The issue arises from a US$50 million settlement reached this year by Merck for the vaccine, which helps prevent cancers caused by the human papillomavirus.\n\nBefore assuming the role of Health Secretary last year, Kennedy, known for his anti-vaccine stance, represented certain parties in these litigation cases as an attorney. As Health Secretary, Kennedy is responsible for overseeing multiple health agencies that regulate and provide funds for vaccines.\n\nUpon his nomination by Trump, Kennedy had initially stated his intention to retain a 10% share of any settlement involving Gardasil cases he referred to Wisner Baum law firm, which has represented numerous plaintiffs. However, he later claimed he would transfer his interest in vaccine litigation to his son. When questioned by lawmakers during the confirmation process, Kennedy subsequently said he would relinquish any potential Gardasil fee share back to Wisner Baum.\n\nIn response to the senators' inquiries, Kennedy recently posted on social media that neither he nor any member of his family received any money from the Gardasil settlement. He also previously claimed to have relinquished any interest in potential Gardasil fees back to the law firm.\n\nHowever, the senators argue that Kennedy's recent statement contradicts his earlier declarations made in ethics filings and written answers provided to the Senate Finance Committee last year, where he stated he would hand over any Gardasil fees to his son. The senators' staff found no subsequent filings to support this claim, suggesting Kennedy's information may have changed or been inaccurate.\n\nKennedy's latest statement appears to indicate that the previous information provided is no longer accurate, potentially indicating a modification or departure from his ethics agreement. The Health and Human Services (HHS) spokesperson did not immediately comment on the matter.",
  "summary": "WASHINGTON: A group of US senators said Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s recent explanation for how he disposed of a financial stake in litigation involving Merck’s Gardasil vaccine conflicts with earlier answers he gave in written testimony and federal ethics filings, a letter reviewed by Reuters shows.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}