RFK Jr. wavers on vaccines, says not to heed his medical advice
U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told a committee of Democrats and Republicans Wednesday that the public should not heed medical advice from him, after skirting questions on whether or not he would vaccinate his children.
Kennedy faced a bipartisan committee of House representatives, charged with questioning him on proposals for sweeping funding cuts to health care and scientific research for the 2026 fiscal year, and on how he is operating his department.
The group of lawmakers probed Kennedy’s approach to his job, some arguing that he has endangered vaccine uptake, cancer research and dental health over just a few months in office.
But Kennedy stood by the Trump administration’s efforts to redraw the boundaries of the US$1.7-trillion-a-year agency, promising it would create a more efficient operation focused on promoting healthier lifestyles among Americans.
“There’s so much chaos and disorganization in this department,” Kennedy said during the hearing.
“What we’re saying is, let’s organize in a way that we can quickly adopt and deploy all these opportunities we have to really deliver high-quality health care to the American people.”
The health secretary, who has already downsized his department from 82,000 to 62,000 staff, defended the Trump administration’s proposed budget for next year, which includes a $500-million funding boost for his Make America Healthy Again initiative and its intention to slash funding to infectious disease prevention, medical research and maternal health initiatives.
The health secretary navigated scrutiny from both sides of the bench, with Democrat Rep. Bonnie Watson-Coleman of New Jersey questioning why he plans to effectively eliminate the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which provides $4.1 billion in heating assistance to families in need, including those living in remote areas.
Kennedy said the cuts would save the government money, despite being warned by proponents of the scheme that getting rid of it would “end up killing people.”
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a Republican of Alaska, said any savings made would be felt too late for people in her state.
“Right now, folks in Alaska still need those ugly generators to keep warm,” she said.
Kennedy’s mixed messaging on vaccines, which has already caused a rift within the health department, also proved contentious during Wednesday’s proceedings.
“If you had a child today, would you vaccinate that child for measles?” Democratic Rep. Mark Pocan of Wisconsin, who described Kennedy as a “conundrum,” asked at the hearing.
“For measles? Um, probably for measles,” Kennedy said, with a momentary hesitation. “What I would say is my opinions about vaccines are irrelevant.… I don’t want to seem like I’m being evasive, but I don’t think people should be taking advice, medical advice, from me.”
When asked whether he would vaccinate his children against chickenpox, Kennedy doubled down, saying he did not want to give vaccine advice. He said the same in response to questioning about protecting against polio.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), between 2000 and 2023, the measles vaccine averted about 60 million deaths related to the disease, and over the past 50 years has saved an estimated 94 million lives.
— With files from The Associated Press
globalnews
