{"id":1054864,"date":"2025-07-09T08:04:11","date_gmt":"2025-07-09T12:04:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/democrats.org\/?p=1054864"},"modified":"2025-07-10T08:05:17","modified_gmt":"2025-07-10T12:05:17","slug":"after-contributing-to-one-of-the-deadliest-measles-outbreaks-in-modern-history-rfk-jr-oversees-the-worst-year-for-measles-in-over-three-decades","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/democrats.org\/news\/after-contributing-to-one-of-the-deadliest-measles-outbreaks-in-modern-history-rfk-jr-oversees-the-worst-year-for-measles-in-over-three-decades\/","title":{"rendered":"After Contributing to One of the Deadliest Measles Outbreaks in Modern History, RFK Jr. Oversees the Worst Year for Measles in Over Three Decades"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In response to RFK Jr.\u2019s partisan attacks on Americans\u2019 health and safety, <\/em>DNC Rapid Response Director Kendall Witmer released the following statement:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWith the U.S. facing the worst year for measles in over three decades, it\u2019s clear RFK Jr. has no business leading America\u2019s public health programs. Don\u2019t forget: RFK Jr. contributed to one of the deadliest measles outbreaks in recent history in Samoa \u2014 and now he\u2019s in danger of repeating his record in America. With RFK Jr. at the helm, medical advice is getting censored and politicized while measles \u2014 a potentially deadly disease \u2014 spreads nationwide. Americans deserve clear, honest, unbiased medical advice so they can keep themselves and their families safe.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

NEW: America is having the worst year for measles in over three decades, according to the Center for Disease Control. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Associated Press<\/a>: \u201cThe US is having its worst year for measles in more than three decades\u201d <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This comes weeks after RFK Jr. removed every sitting member of the CDC\u2019s vaccine advisory committee for political reasons \u2014 replacing them with unqualified lackeys and ruining the committee\u2019s credibility. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

CNN<\/a>: \u201cRFK Jr. removes all current members of CDC vaccine advisory committee\u201d <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe entirety of the 17-member Advisory Committee<\/strong> on Immunization Practices, which advises the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on the vaccine schedule and required coverage of immunizations, will be retired and replaced<\/strong> with new members, Kennedy announced.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA)<\/a>: \u201c[M]any [Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices appointees] do not have significant experience studying microbiology, epidemiology or immunology. In particular, some lack experience studying new technologies such as mRNA vaccines<\/strong>, and may even have a preconceived bias against them. Robust and transparent scientific discussion is important, so long as it is rooted in evidence and understanding. Wednesday\u2019s meeting should not proceed with a relatively small panel<\/strong>, and no CDC Director in place to approve the panel\u2019s recommendations. The meeting should be delayed until the panel is fully staffed with more robust and balanced representation<\/strong>\u2014as required by law\u2014including those with more direct relevant expertise.\u201d <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

American Academy of Pediatrics<\/a>: \u201cNow with the [Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices] dismissals, it is no longer a credible process. <\/strong>Today, health and human services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr. announced he is replacing the entire independent committee that advises the CDC on vaccine usage. [RFK Jr.] announced these eight new picks, most of whom are either allies of him<\/strong> or who have clearly criticized Covid-19 vaccines. The abrupt removal of all of the members of the CDC\u2019s vaccine advisory panel has sparked outrage and worry among many public health experts. <\/strong>We won\u2019t lend our name or our expertise to a system that is being politicized at the expense of children\u2019s health.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

REMINDER: RFK Jr. told Americans they <\/strong>should not<\/strong><\/a> take medical advice from him when asked about vaccines, contributed to the worst measles outbreak in recent history, and has a long history of spreading false medical conspiracy theories.  <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

CBS News<\/a>: \u201cRFK Jr. says people shouldn\u2019t take his medical advice when asked about vaccines<\/strong> at hearing\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Philadelphia Inquirer<\/a>: <\/strong>\u201cIn 2019, Kennedy flew to Samoa, met with government officials and, along with other like-minded advocates, \u2018flooded the area with misinformation\u2019 about vaccines, according to FactCheck.org. Vaccinations were temporarily halted, 5,600 people contracted measles, and 83 children died. FactCheck.org concluded: \u2018Kennedy … played a part in one of the worst measles outbreaks in recent memory.\u2019\u201d <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

NOTUS<\/a>: \u201cThe MAHA Report Cites Studies That Don\u2019t Exist\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHealth Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says his \u2018Make America Healthy Again\u2019 Commission report harnesses \u2018gold-standard\u2019 science, citing more than 500 studies and other sources to back up its claims. Those citations, though, are rife with errors, from broken links to misstated conclusions.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSeven of the cited sources don\u2019t appear to exist at all.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Washington Post<\/a>: \u201cHe has an unenviable history of anti-vaccine advocacy, including peddling debunked claims linking vaccines to autism and leading an anti-vaccine group.<\/strong> He claims he is not opposed to vaccines, though that\u2019s hard to square with his recent comments that \u2018there\u2019s no vaccine that is safe and effective\u2019 and \u2018I see somebody on a hiking trail carrying a little baby, and I say to him, better not get them vaccinated.\u2019\u201d <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

FactCheck.org<\/a>: <\/strong>\u201cAt the time, Fridman pushed Kennedy on the issue, noting that those were \u2018big words\u2019 \u2014 and asked about the polio vaccine. Kennedy then misleadingly suggested that the polio vaccines given to his generation caused cancer \u2014 despite a lack of evidence that this is true.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

###<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In response to RFK Jr.\u2019s partisan attacks on Americans\u2019 health and safety, DNC Rapid Response Director Kendall Witmer released the following statement: \u201cWith the U.S. facing the worst year for measles in over three decades, it\u2019s clear RFK Jr. has no business leading America\u2019s public health programs. Don\u2019t forget: RFK Jr. contributed to one of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":293,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1054864","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-press-release"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nAfter Contributing to One of the Deadliest Measles Outbreaks in Modern History, RFK Jr. Oversees the Worst Year for Measles in Over Three Decades - Democrats<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/democrats.org\/news\/after-contributing-to-one-of-the-deadliest-measles-outbreaks-in-modern-history-rfk-jr-oversees-the-worst-year-for-measles-in-over-three-decades\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Democrats\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-07-09T12:04:11+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-07-10T12:05:17+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/democrats.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Black-Logo-White-Fill-For-Email.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1101\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"483\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Shelby Reese\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Shelby Reese\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/democrats.org\/news\/after-contributing-to-one-of-the-deadliest-measles-outbreaks-in-modern-history-rfk-jr-oversees-the-worst-year-for-measles-in-over-three-decades\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/democrats.org\/news\/after-contributing-to-one-of-the-deadliest-measles-outbreaks-in-modern-history-rfk-jr-oversees-the-worst-year-for-measles-in-over-three-decades\/\",\"name\":\"After Contributing to One of the Deadliest Measles Outbreaks in Modern History, RFK Jr. Oversees the Worst Year for Measles in Over Three Decades - 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