Major shakeup underway at HHS as White House braces for midterms

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Source: STAT News

Original: https://www.statnews.com/2026/02/13/hhs-leadership-changes-rfk-jr-hhs-midterm-el...

Published: Fri, 13 Feb 2026 20:13:55 +0000

Big changes are underway at HHS as the White House prepares for the midterm elections. Several senior officials are leaving the department under RFK Jr. to focus on drug and food price issues. The Trump administration released new Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2025-2030, the most significant reset of federal nutrition policy in decades. The guidelines recommend avoiding highly processed foods such as chips, cookies and confections with added sugar and sodium, and opting instead for nutrient-dense foods and home-cooked meals. The Make America Healthy Again initiative aims to fight chronic diseases, improve nutrition and reduce health care costs. About 35% of the US food industry, including companies like Walmart, Hershey and Nestlé, have agreed to remove artificial colors from products. HHS changed childhood vaccine recommendations from 72 doses for 17 diseases to 10 consensus vaccines. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins allowed states to remove unhealthy foods from the SNAP program.[1][2][3][4][6][7]