Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Wednesday sidestepped a question about vaccines and whether he would choose to vaccinate his children today against a number of diseases, saying, “I don’t think people should be taking medical advice from me.”
Kennedy’s comment was in response to Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wis., during a House Appropriations Committee hearing.
Amid an ongoing measles outbreak in West Texas and other parts of the U.S. that’s killed two children and one adult — all unvaccinated — Kennedy has pushed unproven remedies, including a steroid called budesonide, an antibiotic called clarithromycin and cod liver oil, a supplement high in vitamin A.
None are proven treatments for measles, experts say. High doses of vitamin A can cause nausea, vomiting and liver damage, especially in small children.
Kennedy has, on occasion, offered tepid support of the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine, but frequently undercuts that message with false claims about harms and a lack of long-term protection.
Kennedy told Pocan he would “probably” vaccinate his children against the measles today, but added, “My opinions about vaccines are irrelevant.”
Pocan then asked Kennedy if he would vaccinate his kids today against chickenpox and polio.
Kennedy refused to answer, saying, “I don’t want to give advice.”
Kennedy’s children are vaccinated — a decision he has previously said he regrets.
Doctors widely consider all three vaccines to be safe and effective.
In her closing remarks, ranking committee member Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., criticized his comments about vaccines, emphasizing that both Kennedy and HHS “makes medical decisions every day” and pointed to the two children in the U.S. who died from measles this year.
“You’re the secretary of HHS. You have tremendous power over health policy,” she said. “Really horrifying that you will not encourage families to vaccinate their children, measles, chickenpox, polio. Vaccines are one of the foundations of public health. Vaccines, yes, save lives, and the fact that the secretary of Health and Human Services refuses to encourage children to be vaccinated is a tragedy.”
Public health experts also pushed back on Kennedy’s response.
While Kennedy has no medical training, “the problem is that the top line of his job description is the nation’s chief health strategist,” Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, said during a call with reporters Wednesday. “His job is to give people the best advice that he can.”
“I wonder what it would be like if the transportation secretary refused to answer a question about whether he would fly,” said Dr. Marissa Levine, a professor of public health practice at the University of South Florida said on the same call.
The House hearing kicked off what is expected to be a contentious day for Kennedy following budget cuts and mass layoffs at HHS. Kennedy is expected to testify in the afternoon before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.
During Wednesday morning’s hearing, Kennedy defended the U.S. response to the measles outbreak, saying said the agency was doing a better job than other countries.
He pointed to higher measles rates per capita in Mexico, Canada and Western Europe.
“Mexico has roughly the same number with a third of our population,” he said.
There have been more than 1,000 measles cases in the U.S. so far this year. Measles was declared eliminated from the country in 2000. The only year since then with more cases was 2019.
Experts say the numbers are likely an undercount because many cases most likely go unreported.
