Public Health Watch Newsletter: Preventable Disease Surges Overshadow RFK Jr.’s Anniversary Self-Celebration

RFK Jr. first year as Trump health secretary has been every bit the nightmare for public health that was predicted during his confirmation and then some, as detailed in Protect Our Care’s new report, ‘Public Health Enemy #1’.

As Protect Our Care president Brad Woodhouse laid out during a look-back event with leading lawmakers and medical experts this week: “In one year, RFK Jr. has made America sicker, let measles get a foothold in the U.S. again, undermined public trust in vaccines, promoted dangerous conspiracy theories, installed quacks in key positions and wreaked havoc on our nation’s public health infrastructure. The idea that this charlatan would make America healthy again is B.S. and it always was. During the battle over his confirmation we warned about what he would do and predicted accurately everything he’s done – and the Senators who buried their heads in the sand and accepted his lies at face value who are now expressing concern over his actions should bow their heads in shame”.

What is unfortunately crystal clear is that RFK Jr. has done no reflection on the needless harm he’s done and intends to double down on his anti-science, anti-vax agenda this year. During a self-congratulatory confirmation anniversary event this week, Kennedy ominously boasted: “It’s a joy to work for [Trump] because he lets me do stuff that I don’t think anybody else would ever let me do.” That’s not a reassuring flex for state and local public health officials now dealing with the worst measles outbreak in decades after RFK Jr. and other top Trump health officials encouraged lower vaccination rates through baseless fear-mongering against their proven safety. The President loves what he sees, and that’s truly terrifying.

The flu situation is even worse. Even with the CDC reporting a staggering “12,000 deaths from flu so far this season”, this week RFK Jr.’s hand-picked, fellow anti-vax FDA head Vinay Prasad took the highly unusual and arbitrary step of torpedoing a new flu vaccine from a top manufacturer, which will only leave Americans more vulnerable to the deadly disease. And he reportedly did so over the vehement objections of career FDA staff.

The questionable and capricious decision follows a pattern of erratic behavior from Prasad. As the WSJ details: “Prasad is facing several personnel complaints filed against him, including some that involve retaliation against subordinates and verbally berating staff.”

It appears Prasad was on an island alone with his assessment that Moderna’s flu shot “clinical trial was inadequate,” and American patients, especially seniors, are the ones who will suffer for it.

Also this week, more details emerged about RFK’s deadly, anti-vax mission to Samoa in 2019 – further confirming that he lied about his true intentions to Congress.

Finally, for those keeping track of the top Trump officials who appeared in the Epstein files: both RFK Jr. and his CMS administrator Dr. Oz now have that dubious distinction.

In The News

One Year of RFK