In response to RFK Jr.’s partisan attacks on Americans’ health and safety, DNC Rapid Response Director Kendall Witmer released the following statement:

“With the U.S. facing the worst year for measles in over three decades, it’s clear RFK Jr. has no business leading America’s public health programs. Don’t forget: RFK Jr. contributed to one of the deadliest measles outbreaks in recent history in Samoa — and now he’s in danger of repeating his record in America. With RFK Jr. at the helm, medical advice is getting censored and politicized while measles — a potentially deadly disease — spreads nationwide. Americans deserve clear, honest, unbiased medical advice so they can keep themselves and their families safe.” 

NEW: America is having the worst year for measles in over three decades, according to the Center for Disease Control. 

Associated Press: “The US is having its worst year for measles in more than three decades” 

This comes weeks after RFK Jr. removed every sitting member of the CDC’s vaccine advisory committee for political reasons — replacing them with unqualified lackeys and ruining the committee’s credibility. 

CNN: “RFK Jr. removes all current members of CDC vaccine advisory committee” 

“The entirety of the 17-member Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which advises the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on the vaccine schedule and required coverage of immunizations, will be retired and replaced with new members, Kennedy announced.” 

Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA): “[M]any [Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices appointees] do not have significant experience studying microbiology, epidemiology or immunology. In particular, some lack experience studying new technologies such as mRNA vaccines, and may even have a preconceived bias against them. Robust and transparent scientific discussion is important, so long as it is rooted in evidence and understanding. Wednesday’s meeting should not proceed with a relatively small panel, and no CDC Director in place to approve the panel’s recommendations. The meeting should be delayed until the panel is fully staffed with more robust and balanced representation—as required by law—including those with more direct relevant expertise.” 

American Academy of Pediatrics: “Now with the [Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices] dismissals, it is no longer a credible process. Today, health and human services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr. announced he is replacing the entire independent committee that advises the CDC on vaccine usage. [RFK Jr.] announced these eight new picks, most of whom are either allies of him or who have clearly criticized Covid-19 vaccines. The abrupt removal of all of the members of the CDC’s vaccine advisory panel has sparked outrage and worry among many public health experts. We won’t lend our name or our expertise to a system that is being politicized at the expense of children’s health.”

REMINDER: RFK Jr. told Americans they should not take medical advice from him when asked about vaccines, contributed to the worst measles outbreak in recent history, and has a long history of spreading false medical conspiracy theories.  

CBS News: “RFK Jr. says people shouldn’t take his medical advice when asked about vaccines at hearing” 

Philadelphia Inquirer: “In 2019, Kennedy flew to Samoa, met with government officials and, along with other like-minded advocates, ‘flooded the area with misinformation’ about vaccines, according to FactCheck.org. Vaccinations were temporarily halted, 5,600 people contracted measles, and 83 children died. FactCheck.org concluded: ‘Kennedy … played a part in one of the worst measles outbreaks in recent memory.’” 

NOTUS: “The MAHA Report Cites Studies That Don’t Exist”

“Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says his ‘Make America Healthy Again’ Commission report harnesses ‘gold-standard’ science, citing more than 500 studies and other sources to back up its claims. Those citations, though, are rife with errors, from broken links to misstated conclusions.

“Seven of the cited sources don’t appear to exist at all.”

Washington Post: “He has an unenviable history of anti-vaccine advocacy, including peddling debunked claims linking vaccines to autism and leading an anti-vaccine group. He claims he is not opposed to vaccines, though that’s hard to square with his recent comments that ‘there’s no vaccine that is safe and effective’ and ‘I see somebody on a hiking trail carrying a little baby, and I say to him, better not get them vaccinated.’” 

FactCheck.org: “At the time, Fridman pushed Kennedy on the issue, noting that those were ‘big words’ — and asked about the polio vaccine. Kennedy then misleadingly suggested that the polio vaccines given to his generation caused cancer — despite a lack of evidence that this is true.”