Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is facing renewed scrutiny after documents surfaced that contradict his Senate testimony regarding a 2019 trip to Samoa. Kennedy had claimed during confirmation hearings that the visit was unrelated to vaccines, but letters obtained by news outlets show he explicitly requested to study the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine in Samoa. The trip took place just months before a deadly measles outbreak struck the island nation, which claimed 83 lives, mostly young children.
At the time, Kennedy was leading a nonprofit organization known for opposing vaccines, and his actions were seen by critics as fueling anti-vaccine sentiment in Samoa, according to The Associated Press. The Samoan government had suspended all vaccinations for ten months after two children died from an improperly mixed MMR vaccine, according to a report from The Guardian. Kennedy’s letter to the Samoan prime minister indicated he was interested in examining how the vaccine was administered and whether problems with different vaccine lots may have caused the deaths.
During his confirmation process, Kennedy had made promises to Republican lawmakers about maintaining current vaccine policies, which he later reversed once in office. Republican Senator Bill Cassidy, who supported Kennedy’s confirmation, said the secretary had broken those commitments by replacing all members of the vaccine advisory committee with his own appointees. Cassidy stated that Kennedy’s actions went against what he had promised during the confirmation hearings.
Kennedy’s visit to Samoa was part of a broader effort by his group, Children’s Health Defense, which had focused on vaccine safety issues in the Pacific island nation. The Department of Health and Human Services defended Kennedy’s position, saying his trip had nothing to do with vaccines. However, the agency did not explain the contradiction between Kennedy’s public statements and his letter.
Senators Massachusetts Senator Edward Markey and Oregon Senator Ron Wyden have said they will push for investigations into the matter if Democrats regain control of the Senate in the fall elections. Wyden emphasized that there are consequences for giving false information to Congress, regardless of whether someone is under oath. Kennedy’s team has not responded to requests for comment on the contradiction between his statements and the documents.
The Samoan prime minister’s office and former prime minister also did not respond to inquiries about Kennedy’s visit or his correspondence. Kennedy’s trip to Samoa occurred in May and June of 2019, with him accompanied by his wife, actor Cheryl Hines, and a colleague. The controversy has drawn attention to the integrity of Kennedy’s public statements and how they align with his past actions.
Critics argue that Kennedy’s behavior undermines trust in public health officials and could influence vaccine hesitancy in other countries. The situation has become a flashpoint in ongoing debates about vaccine safety, public health policy, and the role of political figures in shaping those discussions.
IMAGE: Robert Kennedy Jr. in Urbana, IL. Photo: Daniel Schwen / Wikimedia, CC BY-SA 4.0