Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr is facing mounting calls to be dismissed from his position as measles cases continue to rise across the United States. Over 1,700 infections have been reported this year, despite the disease being declared eliminated in the year 2000.
Experts have attributed the increase to declining vaccination rates, with several health advocacy groups accusing Kennedy of undermining long-standing vaccine policies. During a Senate Finance Committee hearing last week, Senator Raphael Warnock of Georgia directly challenged Kennedy, stating, “I think you’re dangerous to the American public. You ought to be fired. And, if you’re not fired, you ought to have the decency to resign.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 1,792 measles cases have been recorded this year, following 2,288 cases in the previous year. A major outbreak in South Carolina, the worst in the US in 35 years, concluded on Monday after 997 cases were confirmed. Of those, 932 patients were unvaccinated.
During the hearing, Kennedy argued that measles outbreaks are not unique to the United States and represent a global issue. “And we’ve done better under my leadership than any country in the world, limiting it,” he claimed. However, experts warn that the US is at risk of losing its measles elimination status. Dr Andrew Pavia, a Utah physician and longtime CDC consultant, told The Associated Press, “My best guess is we will lose elimination status. The case for this not being continuous transmission is tenuous.”
Since becoming HHS Secretary, Kennedy has implemented significant changes, including cutting nearly $500 million in mRNA vaccine development, dismissing all 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, and attempting to alter childhood vaccination recommendations. The American Academy of Pediatrics and other medical groups filed a lawsuit to block these changes, and a federal judge reversed many of the vaccine recommendation modifications in March.
The American Council on Science and Health issued a statement on Monday accusing Kennedy of “trying to eviscerate U.S. vaccine policy.” Similarly, the Center for American Progress previously stated that Kennedy was “endangering America’s vaccine system’s credibility.” The Independent has contacted the Department of Health and Human Services for comment.
