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RFK Jr. says he is not anti-vaccine, explains what really happened with measles outbreak in Samoa

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), appeared before the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday for his confirmation hearing, where he was questioned about his alleged role in the 2019 measles outbreak in Samoa.

Kennedy sought to clarify the events in Samoa, explaining that prior to the outbreak, two children had died following administration of the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine, leading to a steep decline in vaccination rates.

“In Samoa, in 2017 or 2015, there were two kids who died following the MMR vaccine,” Kennedy stated. “Vaccination rates in Samoa dropped precipitously from about 63 percent to the mid-30s, so they’ve never been very high.”

He added that in 2018, two more children died after receiving the vaccine, prompting the Samoan government to ban the MMR vaccine entirely.

“I arrived a year later when vaccination rates were already below any previous level,” Kennedy said, emphasizing that his visit to Samoa in June 2019—two months before the outbreak began—had nothing to do with vaccines.

Instead, he claimed his purpose was to introduce a digital health records system aimed at improving healthcare delivery in the region.

“I never gave any public statement about vaccines, you cannot find a single Samoan who will say, ‘I didn’t get vaccinated because of Bobby Kennedy.’ I went in June of 2019, the measles outbreak started in August.”

Kennedy further claimed that tissue samples sent to New Zealand suggested that many of the reported measles deaths were caused by an unknown illness, noting that similar outbreaks in Tonga and Fiji did not result in additional fatalities.

Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) challenged Kennedy’s account, pointing to his past statements minimizing the severity of measles.

“Mr. Kennedy wrote a book saying that people had been misled into thinking that measles is a deadly disease,” Wyden said. “He’s trying now to play down his role in Samoa. That’s not what the parents say, that’s not what Governor Green says. It’s time to make sure that we blow the whistle on what your views actually are.”

Kennedy pushed back, reaffirming his stance on vaccination.

“I support the measles vaccine. I support the polio vaccine. I will do nothing as HHS secretary that makes it difficult or discourages people from taking either of those vaccines,” Kennedy said.

His statement echoed a similar remark made during his opening statement, which was met with shouting from an audience member accusing him of being “anti-vaccine.”

Kennedy, a longtime critic of vaccine policies, has faced intense scrutiny over his past statements and advocacy work. While he insists he is not anti-vaccine, his past rhetoric has led to skepticism from both Democratic and Republican lawmakers regarding his fitness to lead HHS, the agency responsible for public health initiatives across the country.

His confirmation remains uncertain as Senators weigh his controversial past against his current assurances.