As Measles Epidemic Spreads, Warren Demands RFK Jr. Explain “Irresponsible and Reckless” Efforts to Undermine Vaccines at Health Agency

“You were an anti-vaccine crusader before becoming HHS Secretary, and now appear to be continuing that crusade while in office — risking deadly consequences for the American public.”
“These are dangerous times for public health – and your irresponsible and reckless efforts to undermine the nation’s vaccine policy threaten to fan the flames of disaster.”
Text of Letter (PDF)
Washington, D.C. –U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) wrote to Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy regarding his dangerous actions to undermine vaccines and vaccine production, just weeks after he was confirmed as Secretary and days after he published a new op-ed.
“In your March 2nd op-ed responding to the Texas measles outbreak, which has already killed one unvaccinated child, you failed to include a strong call for vaccinations. Instead, you claimed that ‘good nutrition remains a best defense against most chronic and infectious diseases.’ Do you believe good nutrition is a better defense against measles than the MMR vaccine?”asked Senator Warren.“Will you change course and tell American parents to vaccinate their children to protect against measles, yes or no?”
Ahead of his February 2025 confirmation vote in the Senate, Secretary Kennedy committed to maintaining the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Process (ACIP), which advises the federal government on vaccine approvals, and that he would “base vaccine recommendations on data-driven, evidence-based, and medically sound research.”
However, on February 20, 2025,Politicoreportedthat Secretary Kennedy had started preparing to replace members of the committee. Shortly after, hepostponedACIP’s first meeting of his tenure — during which it had planned to take votes related to vaccines for “HPV, RSV, influenza, and Lyme disease” — without rescheduling it for a later date.
Later that month, Secretary Kennedycancelled a meetingof a key FDA committee that would have selected the flu strains included in the 2025-26 flu vaccine. The flu is estimated to kill between 6,000 and 52,000 Americans each year, and the delay of this meeting threatens the timely manufacturing of this year’s flu vaccines.
“(I)nterfering with the timely production of a safe and effective flu vaccine will endanger thousands — particularly children and seniors, who are most likely to die or become hospitalized due to the flu,”said Senator Warren.
Meanwhile, Secretary Kennedy ischairinga “Make America Healthy Again” commission, created by President Trump, which is already undermining confidence in vaccines. Secretary Kennedy has declared that the commission will investigate the “childhood vaccine schedule” and that “nothing is going to be off limits.”
Amidst multiple public health crises, Secretary Kennedy’s actions are dangerous. In Texas, a deadly measlesoutbreak is raging. The United States is also in the middle of itsdeadliest flu epidemicin 15 years, with at least 19,000 Americans dead. Experts areincreasingly warningabout the spillover of the H5N1 bird flu into humans, and the potential for a deadly pandemic. Last week, HHSannouncedthat it is “reevaluating” its funding agreement with Moderna for an mRNA-based bird flu vaccine.
“The mission of the agency you lead is ‘to enhance the health and well-being of all Americans.’ You are already failing to do so — and you must reverse course immediately,”said Senator Warren.
Senator Warren demanded Secretary Kennedy explain his recent actions to undermine vaccines at HHS by March 10, 2025.
Senator Warren has led the resistance to Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, for his conflicts of interest and misleading views on vaccines:
###