March 03, 2025

As Measles Epidemic Spreads, Warren Demands RFK Jr. Explain “Irresponsible and Reckless” Efforts to Undermine Vaccines at Health Agency

“You were an anti-vaccine crusader before becoming HHS Secretary, and now appear to be continuing that crusade while in office — risking deadly consequences for the American public.” 

“These are dangerous times for public health – and your irresponsible and reckless efforts to undermine the nation’s vaccine policy threaten to fan the flames of disaster.” 

Text of Letter (PDF)

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) wrote to Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy regarding his dangerous actions to undermine vaccines and vaccine production, just weeks after he was confirmed as Secretary and days after he published a new op-ed.  

“In your March 2nd op-ed responding to the Texas measles outbreak, which has already killed one unvaccinated child, you failed to include a strong call for vaccinations. Instead, you claimed that ‘good nutrition remains a best defense against most chronic and infectious diseases.’ Do you believe good nutrition is a better defense against measles than the MMR vaccine?” asked Senator Warren. “Will you change course and tell American parents to vaccinate their children to protect against measles, yes or no?”

Ahead of his February 2025 confirmation vote in the Senate, Secretary Kennedy committed to maintaining the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Process (ACIP), which advises the federal government on vaccine approvals, and that he would “base vaccine recommendations on data-driven, evidence-based, and medically sound research.”

However, on February 20, 2025, Politico reported that Secretary Kennedy had started preparing to replace members of the committee. Shortly after, he postponed ACIP’s first meeting of his tenure — during which it had planned to take votes related to vaccines for “HPV, RSV, influenza, and Lyme disease” — without rescheduling it for a later date. 

Later that month, Secretary Kennedy cancelled a meeting of a key FDA committee that would have selected the flu strains included in the 2025-26 flu vaccine. The flu is estimated to kill between 6,000 and 52,000 Americans each year, and the delay of this meeting threatens the timely manufacturing of this year’s flu vaccines. 

“(I)nterfering with the timely production of a safe and effective flu vaccine will endanger thousands — particularly children and seniors, who are most likely to die or become hospitalized due to the flu,” said Senator Warren. 

Meanwhile, Secretary Kennedy is chairing a “Make America Healthy Again” commission, created by President Trump, which is already undermining confidence in vaccines. Secretary Kennedy has declared that the commission will investigate the “childhood vaccine schedule” and that “nothing is going to be off limits.” 

Amidst multiple public health crises, Secretary Kennedy’s actions are dangerous. In Texas, a deadly measles outbreak is raging. The United States is also in the middle of its deadliest flu epidemic in 15 years, with at least 19,000 Americans dead. Experts are increasingly warning about the spillover of the H5N1 bird flu into humans, and the potential for a deadly pandemic. Last week, HHS announced that it is “reevaluating” its funding agreement with Moderna for an mRNA-based bird flu vaccine.

“The mission of the agency you lead is ‘to enhance the health and well-being of all Americans.’ You are already failing to do so — and you must reverse course immediately,” said Senator Warren.

Senator Warren demanded Secretary Kennedy explain his recent actions to undermine vaccines at HHS by March 10, 2025. 

Senator Warren has led the resistance to Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, for his conflicts of interest and misleading views on vaccines: 

  • On February 13, 2025, following Senate Republicans voting to confirm Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for Secretary of Health and Human Services, Senator Elizabeth Warren released a statement calling his confirmation “a huge mistake” and said his conflicts of interest would allow him and his family to “continue getting richer from his anti-vaccine crusade.” 
  • On February 12, 2025, on the Senate floor, Senator Elizabeth Warren joined Democrats in delaying a final vote to confirm Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. In her speech, she warned that American families and children would pay the price for Mr. Kennedy’s “conspiracy-driven health care decisions,” while his serious ethics conflicts remain unresolved.
  • On February 6, 2025, Senators Elizabeth Warren and Tim Kaine (D-Va.) wrote to then-nominee Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. about his continued conflicts of interest. The senators called out Mr. Kennedy’s plan to enter office with a serious ethics conflict by keeping a financial interest in anti-vaccine lawsuits within his family, asked him to recuse himself from former clients’ matters, commit to not lobbying HHS after his tenure as Secretary, and more.
  • On February 4, 2025, following the Senate Finance Committee vote to advance the nomination of RFK Jr. for Secretary of Health and Human Services, Senator Warren gave remarks regarding Mr. Kennedy’s continued conflicts of interest. 
  • On February 3, 2025, Senators Warren and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Ranking Member on the Senate Finance Committee, wrote to RFK Jr., pressing him to urgently resolve his serious conflicts of interest before the committee vote Wednesday morning.
  • On January 31, 2025, following pressure from Senate Democrats, RFK Jr., agreed to amend his flawed ethics agreement (see Warren QFRs at the end of Part 2 and start of Part 3).
  • On January 29, 2025, at a hearing of the Senate Finance Committee, Senator Warren questioned Mr. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services, about his dangerous conflicts of interest and record of profiting from anti-vaccine conspiracies.
  • On January 18, 2025, ahead of RFK Jr.’s confirmation hearing for Secretary of Health and Human Services, Senator Warren sent a 34-page letter detailing her concerns with his nomination and asked him to answer 175 questions ahead of his hearing before the Finance Committee.
  • On November 14, 2024, in response to the news that President-elect Donald Trump selected Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to serve as Secretary of Health and Human Services, Senator Warren released a statement calling him a “danger to public health, scientific research, medicine, and health care coverage for millions of Americans.”

###