WASHINGTON -- WASHINGTON (AP) — Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an anti-vaccine activist and environmentalist, for years gained a loyal and fierce following with his biting condemnations of how the nation’s public health agencies do business.

While Kennedy insists he is not anti-vaccine and claims he has never advised the public to avoid vaccination, he has repeatedly expressed opposition to vaccines. On a podcast, he stated, "There's no vaccine that is safe and effective" and has urged people to resist CDC guidelines on childhood vaccination schedules.