We’re encouraged that Senator Bernie Sanders has gone bold. He is calling on Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the sitting secretary of health, to step down. As Sanders has made clear, there’s a lot to take issue with regarding Kennedy’s public statements and his policy proposals. He called them “dangerous” and called them “Secretary Kennedy”— Secretary Kennedy. The senator says that Kennedy’s misleading medical claims present a serious danger to public health.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has made a series of controversial claims regarding vaccines, including the assertion that “there’s no vaccine that is safe and effective.” It hasn’t taken long for a cavalcade of health experts and outraged lawmakers to decry this nonsensical claim. In response, they decry his position as dangerous and misleading. According to Sanders, Kennedy is “endangering the health of the American people now and into the future.”
Kennedy has made a career out of spreading skepticism toward vaccines. Public health advocates warn that this sets a dangerous precedent that erodes public trust in critical health interventions. More than 750 current and former staff from U.S. public health institutions have come together to speak out. They used alarmist language, calling Kennedy an “existential threat to public health,” underscoring the severe, lasting impact of his remarks.
Yet a particularly troubling aspect of Kennedy’s advocacy is his reliance on discredited experts. For instance, one prominent figure he cites to support his claims about autism and vaccines had his medical license revoked. Kennedy’s vaccine-autism study, however, was retracted by the original medical journal. This retraction raises serious questions about his claims—even as the very basis on which he crafted them.
Given these problems, Sanders has demanded a great deal of action to be taken promptly. He stated that Kennedy is “complicit in dismantling America’s public health infrastructure and endangering the nation’s health by repeatedly spreading inaccurate health information.” The senator’s call for resignation reflects a broader concern among health professionals regarding Kennedy’s influence on public perception of vaccines.
Despite facing bipartisan pushback, including from members of the Trump administration who previously supported him, Kennedy has persisted in promoting his views. Critics warn that a potential focus on altering the childhood immunization schedule could have dire implications for public health, particularly in preventing communicable diseases.
Experts warn of the cascading impact further erosion of public trust could have, particularly with vaccines, and vaccines truly are the cornerstone of public health. The yearlong public debate over Kennedy’s claims presents a compelling picture of the political, health communication, and public health interests at play here.
Kennedy’s ongoing spread of these unproven claims is especially concerning to healthcare professionals who work to promote science-based public health policy. The backlash against him is not limited to partisan lines. That’s a happy reality that experts say makes it all the more important to ensure clear and accurate communication on vaccines.