Dr. Casey Means, a candidate for the U.S. Surgeon General, testified before Congress that she could not answer yes or no when asked if vaccines caused autism. This testimony shows a backslide in American politics, with origins dating back to the 1950s. The anti-science agenda increased during the pandemic as anti-COVID policies were opposed. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has a history of opposing vaccines and making false claims about them, and his appointees to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices have whittled the recommended childhood vaccines down from 17 to 11, in opposition to the recommended advice from the medical community. The consequences of following vaccination rates are real, with more cases of measles and other vaccine-preventable illnesses on the rise.