HHS Wants Access to a Private Medical Database You've Probably Never Heard Of

Health Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. is pushing to access a little-known database that hospitals and clinics use to share patient information, and some public health leaders are questioning whether it's legal, or even useful.

KFF Health News reports that Kennedy wants to get into the system as part of his effort to investigate the causes of autism and examine vaccine safety. Unlike anonymized research datasets, this database contains detailed, identifiable information about patients and the care they've received, meaning records tied directly to real people.

Some public health leaders say the data Kennedy is seeking wouldn't actually help answer the questions he's asking. They've also raised legal concerns about whether his access to the system would be permitted under current law.

The push comes as Kennedy continues to promote the idea of a link between vaccines and autism, though the medical establishment widely accepts that the connection has been debunked.