Topline
A newly published letter sent by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to the Prime Minister of Samoa ahead of his 2019 visit shows he did intend to interfere in the country’s measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine program, despite testifying under oath that the trip had nothing to do with vaccines.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., during his confirmation hearing at the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Jan. 29, 2025 in Washington, DC.
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Key Facts
The 2019 trip is one of RFK Jr.’s most prominent controversies, occurring shortly before a massive measles outbreak in Samoa that infected more than 5,700 people and claimed 83 lives. He has been accused of boosting the influence of anti-vaccine activists in the island nation at the time.
In sworn testimony during his confirmation hearings earlier this year, the future secretary insisted his visit was unrelated to vaccines. However, the newly released correspondence explicitly states his intent to study the use of the MMR vaccine in Samoa and uses the terms “vaccine” or “vaccination” eight times.
This is a developing story and will be updated.