Washington, D.C. — New emails obtained by The Guardian and AP News directly contradict Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Senate confirmation hearing testimony that his 2019 visit to Samoa had “nothing to do with vaccines.” On the contrary, Kennedy went to Samoa to investigate the country’s MMR vaccines, where he met with anti-vax activists as part of what his own colleague described as a vaccine-related “mission.” The measles outbreak that followed within months of that trip killed 83 people, most of them children. Yesterday, it was reported that two Pennsylvanians died from measles, bringing the disease’s death toll to five under the Trump administration, the worst national measles crisis in three decades.
Protect Our Care President Brad Woodhouse issued the following statement:
“RFK Jr. lied to the United States Senate to get confirmed as HHS Secretary, and now Americans are dying because of it. He lied about the purpose of his trip to Samoa, and we now know definitively that he lied to Congress, which is a crime. He continues to lie about the vaccine schedule. He lies about the safety of vaccines. He is the most untrustworthy, unqualified person to have ever served as HHS Secretary.
“Samoa was the most damning chapter in RFK Jr.’s anti-vaccine career. Measles cases exploded in Samoa after his visit, and 83 people died. Measles is now spreading under his watch at HHS, and just this week we saw two deaths in Pennsylvania on top of three last year. RFK Jr.’s tenure as HHS Secretary has cost lives, and he continues to put more at risk every day he stays in office.
“He should simply do the right thing and for God’s sake resign.”