The nonprofit Children's Health Defense that Kennedy led has filed nearly 30 federal and state lawsuits since 2020, many challenging vaccines and public health mandates.
The National Institutes of Health, the crown jewel of biomedical research in the U.S., could face big changes under the new Trump administration, some fueled by pandemic-era criticisms of the agency.
Trump's victory gives a broader platform to critics of federal health programs. Among other moves, he may try to weaken the Affordable Care Act and cut funding for Medicaid coverage.
In New York major party candidates automatically appear on the ballot, but minor party candidates must collect 45,000 voter signatures by petition in order to qualify. Kennedy, who has withdrawn from the race and backed Donald Trump, gathered more than 100,000 valid signatures.
A leaked video of a phone call between independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Donald Trump shows the former president expressing doubt about vaccines.