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Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is set for a marathon of congressional hearings starting Thursday, where lawmakers will have the opportunity to grill him for the first time in over seven months. Since then, Kennedy overhauled the childhood vaccine schedule to recommend fewer shots, a move which alarmed medical experts and has been blocked by a federal judge. His health department has undergone a major leadership shake-up. And Kennedy has leaned into his messaging around food and nutrition as GOP pollsters warn of the political risks of vaccine skepticism ahead of the midterms. (Roubein and Weber, 4/16)

The progressive health care advocacy group Protect Our Care is releasing a highly critical review of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s first 14 months in office ahead of a marathon series of hearings he will have in the House and Senate this month to defend President Trump’s budget request. In the report titled “Robert F. Kennedy Jr. vs. Public Health,” shown first to The Hill, Protect Our Care highlights the secretary’s actions on vaccines, medical research, food as well as his apparent aims of mobilizing his “Make America Healthy Again” base as a key voting block ahead of the midterms. (Choi, 4/15)

More on RFK Jr. and MAHA —

The Food and Drug Administration will convene an outside panel of advisers to discuss whether to allow compounding pharmacies to manufacture certain peptides, the agency announced on Wednesday. The meetings will take place July 23 and 24. Another will be held before the end of February 2027. (Lawrence and Todd, 4/15)

This week, the City of Baltimore's public water system cut fluoride levels in its drinking water nearly in half. Baltimore City isn't alone. U.S. water systems are facing a shortage of hydrofluorosilicic acid, a chemical used to fluoridate drinking water to prevent cavities and tooth decay. The specialized chemical is mainly sourced from a small pool of international producers. And the conflict in the Middle East is disrupting the supply chain. Managers of U.S. water systems say the shortage in fluoridation chemicals is unprecedented. (Huang, 4/15)

A new poll from a progressive polling firm shows support for the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement is narrow and highly vulnerable, and that support drops significantly when voters learn about Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s actions in office and his policies. The poll, conducted by Data for Progress and RFK Jr Watch, a project of 314 Action, comes from a national sample of 2,350 likely voters. While many say they support the movement’s goals, only one in six actually identify with the movement. Roughly 30% of those polled outright reject it. Half of Republicans (50%) and 40% of swing district voters said they support many tenets of MAHA but do not identify with the movement. (Soucheray, 4/15)

President Trump jokes about his soda consumption —

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz revealed on Monday that President Trump has an unusual defense for his diet soda habit, joking that the president often says the beverage “kills cancer cells.” “Your dad argues that diet soda is good for him because it kills grass. It’s poured on grass, so therefore must kill cancer cells inside the body,” Oz told Donald Trump Jr. on “Triggered,” the president’s son’s podcast. (Brams, 4/15)