take a break

At an anti-vaccine gathering in November 2023 when he was running for president, Kennedy called on the NIH to take a “break” from studying infectious diseases such as COVID-19 and measles and to pivot to the study of such chronic conditions as diabetes and obesity.

Mr Rowlands heard the group discuss whether to take a break as their exploits had left the vault full of fumes, smoke and dust.

“Ronnie didn’t want to take a break,” she says, adding that he had planned to take his band Dio back out on the road in Europe and even sent the group’s equipment overseas in advance of the tour.

Trump was forced to take a break during his 2020 election campaign after being diagnosed with the virus.

Organisers said the annual event will take a break next year so it can return "fully charged" in 2026.