It's an anniversary no one wants to celebrate, but an anniversary nonetheless.
Thursday, March 19, marked six years since the first COVID-19 lockdown was implemented in the United States. And while it is undeniable that the impact of the global pandemic is still felt worldwide, one place Americans see its lingering effects the most is in vaccine policy.
Vaccine hesitancy surged after the FDA approved the first COVID vaccine in August 2021. Since then, it has only bolstered following the appointment of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a known vaccine skeptic, early in Trump's second administration.
The Trump administration's ensuing actions around vaccination have been admonished by major medical institutions and public health experts, with some warning that more Americans, especially children, may die from preventable diseases as a result. Kennedy has said the vaccines will remain available to anyone who wants them, and supporters have praised what they say is a move toward a more individual rights-based approach to public health.
Even more confusingly, a complicated set of rules and changes around the COVID-19 shot was overturned earlier this week by a federal judge, rendering some hotly-contested decision moot - at least for now.
