chicago vaccination skeptic robert f. kennedy jr. say would chair presidential panel review vaccine safety science u.s. president-elect donald trump request draw fierce criticism vaccine experts fear panel would give credence debunk theories tie childhood immunizations autism president-elect trump doubt current vaccine policy question kennedy raise question safety vaccines tell reporters meet trump new york tuesday ask chair commission vaccine safety scientific integrity say would say kennedy however trump spokeswoman hope hicks late tell reuters president-elect explore possibility form committee autism decisions make time kennedy environmentalist lawyer son late u.s. senator robert f. kennedy new york nephew assassinate democratic president john f. kennedy vaccine experts decry announcement vaccination skeptic would head panel explore safety vaccines purport link autism association raise paper publish british medical journal lancet 1998 claim find connection measles mumps rubella mmr vaccine autism paper debunk lancet withdraw study since numerous study affirm safety vaccine american academy pediatrics say vaccines significant medical innovation time add claim vaccines link autism unsafe disproven robust body medical literature addition measles mumps rubella vaccines protect children adults wide variety deadly cripple diseases include polio typhoid diphtheria tetanus dr. william schaffner infectious disease expert vanderbilt university medical school nashville tennessee advise federal panel set u.s. vaccine policy say kennedy news reinforce concern public health officials pediatricians family doctor schaffner say kennedy raise issue settle securely completely good science nevertheless concern persist link vaccines autism range symptoms often include difficulties communication social interaction kennedy 62 say trump 70 pro-vaccine say everybody ought able assure vaccines ... safe possibly be 2014 trump new york businessman yet presidential candidate post twitter believe vaccinations massive shots much small child handle govt stop kennedy 2005 write article roll stone magazine salon.com website assert government conspire cover connections autism thimerosal mercury-based preservative formerly use vaccines salon.com late retract article factual errors roll stone delete accord center disease control prevention evidence harm cause thimerosal vaccines thimerosal never use mmr vaccine cdc say research show link thimerosal vaccines autism precaution remove childhood vaccines unite state 2001. daniel johnson pediatric infectious disease expert university chicago medicine say think yet another investigation vaccine safety waste public money already many systems place provide oversight record data constantly review many government scientific community johnson say need still yet another system this johnson say concern parent may delay get children vaccinate await word vaccination safety panel could result increase harm illness potentially death children diseases could prevent vaccines robert kennedy jr. say tap trump head vaccine safety review