Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has demonstrated little interest in managing his sprawling department as he focuses on food and vaccine policies, according to colleagues.

Doctors nationwide are encountering more children with whooping cough, bacterial infections and other serious illnesses, as well as more adults refusing tetanus shots.

Just a day after the outbreak was announced, cases were confirmed in the capitals of Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. There is no approved vaccine for the strain.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has toned down his public criticism of vaccines, under orders from the White House. But inside his department, a sprawling research effort is a top priority.

But it has been hard to attract interest in medical interventions for viruses that have not been considered a top public health priority, scientists say.

The agency’s scientists and data contractors reviewed millions of patient records for studies that were pulled back before release.

Dr. Sara Brenner is a physician, an F.D.A. official and a “MAHA mom” who has said people should not reflexively believe in the benefits of vaccines.

In four days of congressional testimony, the health secretary sought to please the White House and his MAHA base at the same time.

Testifying on Capitol Hill, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. continued to back away from his criticism of the measles shot. But he spoke on behalf of his department, not himself.

In a tense congressional hearing, the health secretary also said he bore no responsibility for the measles outbreak in the United States.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth called the mandate “overreaching” in announcing the policy change. The vaccine will remain available to service members who want to be inoculated.

Dozens of Democratic doctors are running for office in the midterms, including some spurred by opposition to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his anti-vaccine stance.

Several moves suggest Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. could revive his campaign to question the safety and effectiveness of the shots after the midterm elections.

Plus, the Friday news quiz.

Dr. Erica Schwartz is seen as a highly qualified traditional choice and tapping her is the strongest signal yet that the administration is veering away from vaccine skepticism this election year.

Nearly 600 people have been sickened across the state, which has seen an increase in vaccine exemptions among children in recent years.

The charter, published on Thursday, alters the makeup and purpose of the panel, opening the door for Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to reclaim his revision of national vaccine policy.

Dr. Jay Bhattacharya objected to the study’s methodology, saying it gave an inaccurate picture of the vaccine’s benefits.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s vaccine skepticism is posing challenges for the Trump administration. Top health jobs are unfilled, and a court has blocked his vaccine schedule changes.

The administration has yet to find a candidate who aligns with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s agenda while avoiding his unpopular stance on vaccines.

Dr. Robert Malone, vice chair of the committee, was appointed by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. after a purge of the previous advisers.

Many current and former employees say the actions of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. are undermining the agency’s role in safeguarding public health.

Lawyers for both sides in the federal lawsuit, brought by six medical organizations, are trying to understand the ramifications of the judge’s decision.

A federal judge halted the Trump administration’s changes to vaccine recommendations, but the mistrust and fear they have stoked may last for years.

Ruling on a lawsuit brought by several prominent medical organizations, a district court said the federal government had not based its decisions on science in limiting Covid shots and revising the childhood immunization schedule.

A federal work group says Covid vaccine injuries deserve urgent attention, even as Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. shifts away from talking about vaccine policy.

As the midterm elections approach, the health secretary is focusing on “real food.” Anger is rising among some of his supporters.

Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, who was appointed to the role last week, has offered to publicly endorse vaccination, in particular the measles vaccine, winning over some agency employees.

Moderna said it had held further discussions with regulators and announced that the agency would accept the company’s application for approval of its flu vaccine that uses mRNA technology.

Federal policies under Robert F. Kennedy Jr. that are hostile to vaccines have “sent a chill through the entire industry,” one scientist said.