{"id":2171044,"date":"2026-03-19T15:45:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-19T19:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/?p=2171044&post_type=podcast&preview_id=2171044"},"modified":"2026-03-20T10:07:37","modified_gmt":"2026-03-20T14:07:37","slug":"what-the-health-438-rfk-vaccine-schedule-changes-blocked-obamacare-midterms-march-19-2026","status":"publish","type":"podcast","link":"https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/news\/podcast\/what-the-health-438-rfk-vaccine-schedule-changes-blocked-obamacare-midterms-march-19-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"What the Health? From KFF Health News: RFK Jr.\u2019s Vaccine Schedule Changes Blocked \u2014 For Now"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n\t<\/iframe>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n\t\t

\n\t\tThe Host\t<\/h3>\n\t\t
\n\t\n\n
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t
Julie Rovner<\/div>\n\t
KFF Health News<\/div>\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t@jrovner\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t@julierovner.bsky.social\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\tRead Julie's stories.\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\tJulie Rovner is chief Washington correspondent and host of KFF Health News\u2019 weekly health policy news podcast, "What the Health?" A noted expert on health policy issues, Julie is the author of the critically praised reference book "Health Care Politics and Policy A to Z," now in its third edition.\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.\u2019s effort to change how the federal government recommends vaccines against childhood diseases was dealt at least a temporary setback in federal court this week. A judge in Massachusetts sided with a coalition of public health groups arguing that changes to the vaccine schedule violated federal law. The Trump administration said it would appeal the judge\u2019s ruling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, some of the same public health groups continue to worry about the slow pace of grantmaking at the National Institutes of Health, which, for the second straight year, is having trouble getting money appropriated by Congress out the door to researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This week\u2019s panelists are Julie Rovner of KFF Health News, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, and Lauren Weber of The Washington Post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\t\t

\n\t\tPanelists\t<\/h3>\n\t\t
\n\t\n\n
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t
Alice Miranda Ollstein<\/div>\n\t
Politico<\/div>\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t@AliceOllstein\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t@alicemiranda.bsky.social\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\tRead Alice's stories.\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t
Margot Sanger-Katz<\/div>\n\t
The New York Times<\/div>\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t@sangerkatz\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\tRead Margot's stories.\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t
Lauren Weber<\/div>\n\t
The Washington Post<\/div>\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t@LaurenWeberHP\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t@laurenweberhp.bsky.social\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\tRead Lauren's stories.\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Among the takeaways from this week\u2019s episode:<\/p>\n\n\n\n