Kennedy's Vaccine Stake Raises Questions as Senators Demand Answers

US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is under fire for his handling of a financial stake in litigation involving Merck's Gardasil vaccine. In a letter to Kennedy, four Democratic senators questioned his recent explanation of how he disposed of the stake, which conflicts with earlier answers he gave in written testimony and federal ethics filings.

The senators pointed out that Merck agreed to pay $50 million to settle litigation over Gardasil this year. Before becoming health secretary last year, Kennedy was an attorney of record in some of the cases. He initially said he intended to keep a 10% fee of any settlement involving Gardasil cases he referred to the Wisner Baum law firm.

Kennedy later claimed that he would hand over his financial interest in vaccine litigation to his son, and accused lawmakers and media outlets of 'inventing lies' to besmirch him. However, the senators said Kennedy's recent statement appears to indicate that earlier information was no longer accurate.