Trump picks vaccine sceptic RFK Jr for health secretary

The newly elected US President, Donald Trump, has selected vaccine skeptic and former independent presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr as his health secretary as he continues to shape his new administration.

Kennedy, commonly known by his initials RFK Jr, has a history of spreading health information that scientists say is false.

If his nomination is ratified by the Senate, he will lead a huge agency overseeing everything from food safety to medical research and welfare programmes.

The announcement came amid a fresh flurry of nominations on Thursday evening, with Trump also declaring his intention to nominate North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum as his interior secretary, reports BBC.

Trump said he would formally announce the selection of Burgum - a former businessman who ran against the president-elect for the Republican presidential nomination - on Friday.

He had initially teased the move during a speech to supporters at Mar-a-Lago, saying he would be appointing Burgum to a "very big position" - before seemingly deciding to dispense with the suspense.