RFK Jr's Vaccine Crusade: CDC Revolt, Measles Surge & Autism Controversy

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. BioSnap a weekly updated Biography.

Robert F Kennedy Jr has erupted at the center of a public health and political firestorm over the past several days that even by his standards seems historic. The major headline everywhere is that nine former CDC directors from both Democratic and Republican administrations, in a rare and highly coordinated move, penned a blistering New York Times op-ed warning that Kennedy—now Secretary of Health and Human Services in President Trumps administration—has endangered the health of every American. The ex-directors condemned his abrupt firing of CDC chief Susan Monarez, who was ousted just weeks into her tenure after refusing to support Kennedy’s controversial push to restrict COVID vaccine access and overhaul the agency’s leadership. Four other top CDC officials resigned in protest, and now Kennedy faces a credibility revolt among public health professionals. Former CDC head Richard Besser told ABC News that Kennedy’s efforts are “not business as usual” but a campaign bent on gutting vaccine programs and replacing career scientists with loyalists, risking the nation’s health security. CBS News and NBC News both aired segments showing CDC staff protesting outside headquarters and widespread concern that recent measles outbreaks and limitations on COVID vaccine distribution are linked to Kennedy’s policy changes.

On the political front, Senator Bernie Sanders, a perennial critic, called for Kennedy’s immediate resignation and rallied Americans to oppose his “longstanding crusade against vaccines,” saying it imperils public safety and slams the administration for choosing ideology over evidence. Axios reports Kennedy is nevertheless consolidating power, pushing plans this month for a report on environmental causes of autism, and overseeing a new vaccine advisory committee exclusively with his own appointees—many outspoken vaccine skeptics. He’s also orchestrating senior leadership reshuffles at the CDC, with acting director Jim O’Neill, one of Kennedy’s closest advisers, installing new members this week. Insiders tell Axios that the White House is weighing the political ramifications given Kennedy’s influence with President Trump’s base, but believe he will remain in post at least through the coming midterm elections.

Meanwhile, a damning ProPublica investigation chronicled how Kennedy cut funding for federal scientists researching environmental factors in autism, despite his public pledge to solve the autism epidemic. Instead, he’s championing a new $50 million federal initiative widely criticized by medical experts and autism researchers as lacking transparency and intent on reviving debunked vaccine theories. Critics, including Boston University psychologist Helen Tager-Flusberg, believe Kennedy ignores decades of research while amplifying conspiracy rhetoric, especially in high-profile interviews like his recent appearance with Tucker Carlson.

All eyes are now on Kennedy’s scheduled testimony before the Senate Finance Committee this week, where lawmakers of both parties are expected to grill him over his leadership of HHS, the CDC shakeup, and whether his policies have weakened the nation’s public health defenses in the face of COVID, resurgent measles, and chronic disease. Social media is awash with hashtags targeting both #RFKJr and the CDC crisis, and protests outside the CDC continue, indicating the controversy shows no sign of cooling. No major new business ventures or appearances beyond these public health showdowns have been reported, though the potential for Kennedy to mount another presidential campaign remains a frequent point of speculation among pundits and online observers, despite his current denials.

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