*Attached video: RFK Jr. says autism is an epidemic

(WJW) – Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is set to receive access to a vast trove of Americans’ private medical records as part of a sweeping new federal study on autism, according to an announcement from the National Institutes of Health.

The project, revealed on Monday, April 21 by NIH Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, will compile data from a variety of sources — including federal agencies, pharmacy chains, fitness trackers, and private insurers — into what officials are calling a “real-world data initiative,” CBS News reported.

The database will also be used for autism research led by Kennedy.

Kennedy has previously faced criticism for promoting the debunked theory that vaccines cause autism.

Bhattacharya said the effort will involve 10 to 20 independent research groups, which will receive federal grant money to analyze the data.

The dataset will also include medical records from patients treated through the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Indian Health Service, Bhattacharya said.

The announcement follows comments made by Kennedy at an April 16 press conference, where he referred to autism as a condition that “destroys families.”

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