During the confirmation hearings of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for the position of health secretary, there was a moment that stood out when Senator Bill Cassidy from Louisiana, a Republican, pushed Kennedy to concede—albeit reluctantly—that vaccines are not linked to autism. It was an easy opportunity to score points, yet Kennedy refused to agree. This stance isn’t too surprising considering he had previously informed a podcaster that he feels it’s his responsibility to warn people, even strangers, against vaccinating their babies. Despite these views, Cassidy, who is trained as a doctor, decided to support Kennedy’s confirmation.
Since taking on the role, Kennedy has sparked controversy by debating the need to re-examine the childhood vaccination schedule, insisting that, despite extensive use and research over the years, it hasn’t undergone enough scrutiny. His actions included halting a prudent public awareness campaign during a brutal flu season, and cancelling an important vaccine committee meeting, potentially jeopardizing the supply of flu vaccines for the coming year. Furthermore, he suggested a model of “informed consent” for parents, which focuses on potential side effects, likely discouraging the very vaccinations that have safeguarded Americans from diseases that were common and deadly in the past.
If I were to list all the erroneous and misleading statements Kennedy has made about vaccines across his talks and writings, I might exceed not just this column space but possibly the scope of an entire newspaper. This week, I was particularly stunned as he dismissed a Texas outbreak, characterizing it as routine. While doing so, he inexplicably doubled the known death toll and claimed that about 20 people had been hospitalized “mainly for quarantine”—a claim swiftly contradicted by the chief medical officer of the Lubbock hospital where a child had died. With a nonchalant wave, Kennedy simply remarked, “We’re watching it.”
You probably can guess the word he didn’t mention.
In the face of a deadly outbreak, one would typically expect an unequivocal message urging parents to vaccinate their children. Yet, this is the same individual who, during a 2019 measles outbreak in Samoa that resulted in 83 deaths, including 79 children, worked against public trust in the very tool that could have been pivotal. Prepare yourself, America.
Presently, the United States enjoys WHO verification as a measles-free nation, facilitating easier international travel for its citizens. If these outbreaks persist, we risk losing this status, and other countries may start demanding proof of measles vaccination before allowing entry to Americans. Such a decision would be understandable.
