WASHINGTON — William Thompson, a vaccine adviser at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) with connections to health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has been appointed to a new role overseeing research into adverse childhood experiences. This promotion, confirmed through documents reviewed by STAT and an agency insider, elevates Thompson to a GS-15 position, the highest level for civilian government workers, where he will assume supervisory responsibilities.
Thompson’s prior involvement with Kennedy on vaccine policy, coupled with his previous claims regarding omitted data on vaccine risks, raises questions about the potential influence of Kennedy’s Make America Healthy Again movement on CDC research agendas. In his new capacity, Thompson will not only align research on adverse childhood events—encompassing various traumatic experiences that can affect children’s stability—but also lead students and fellows in their investigative efforts.
This promotion positions Thompson to significantly impact the CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System, a crucial tool for monitoring the health behaviors of high school students and considered the largest public health surveillance system in the U.S. The implications of his leadership could steer the agency’s focus on childhood health in a direction that aligns with Kennedy’s controversial views.
Use the database as your supply chain compass →
