US health secretary and ardent anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. went before the Senate Finance Committee on Thursday amid turmoil at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and widespread chaos over access to COVID-19 vaccines.
In the combative three-hour hearing, Kennedy defended his dramatic firing of the CDC director last week, less than a month after her confirmation, which he effusively supported. Today, he repeatedly called her a liar and made the extraordinary claim that she openly confessed to him that she cannot be trusted. Kennedy went on to reiterate the dangerous claim that the CDC is corrupt. That's despite calls from agency staff for Kennedy to tone down such rhetoric after a gunman—who was influenced by vaccine misinformation and the vilification of the public health agency—sprayed the CDC campus with over 500 rounds and killed a local police officer last month.
Regarding vaccines, particularly COVID-19 vaccines, Kennedy made his usual anti-vaccine talking points. He gave the tired refrain that all the medical, pediatrics, infectious disease, and public health experts who disagree with his views and support existing vaccines do so simply because they have been bought off by the pharmaceutical industry. He repeatedly falsely claimed that his actions as secretary have not restricted access to COVID-19 vaccines, despite the fact that he directly restricted access to COVID-19 vaccines. People, including cancer patients, are currently being denied access to the vaccines in multiple states due to the restrictions.
Kennedy's actions as secretary and his responses today drew criticism from both Republicans and Democrats, and multiple lawmakers have called for him to resign. But Kennedy seemed undeterred from carrying out his anti-vaccine agenda as the country's top health official. Just yesterday, news broke that Kennedy is working to install seven new people to the CDC's vaccine advisory committee, many of whom are also against vaccines. The seven new members would join the other seven new anti-vaccine members Kennedy already hand-selected for the committee, which was left vacant after he fired all 17 highly respected and thoroughly vetted experts from the committee in June.