U.S. Well being and Human Companies Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., testifies earlier than a Senate Finance Committee listening to on President Donald Trump’s 2026 well being care agenda, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., September 4, 2025.
Jonathan Ernst | Reuters
Well being and Human Companies Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. doubled down on false claims about vaccines throughout his Senate testimony on Wednesday, as senators grilled him on his sweeping adjustments to immunization coverage and federal well being businesses.
Kennedy mentioned he helps an announcement made by a newly appointed member of a key authorities vaccine panel that mRNA vaccines pose a harmful threat to individuals. Quite a few research have demonstrated that pictures utilizing mRNA know-how, together with Covid vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna, are protected and efficient, and severe unwanted side effects have occurred in extraordinarily uncommon instances.
Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., famous that the committee member Dr. Retsef Levi has mentioned that proof is mounting that mRNA vaccines trigger “severe hurt, together with loss of life, particularly amongst younger individuals.” Kennedy appointed Levi to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which advises the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention on vaccine suggestions and insurance coverage protection.
Kennedy mentioned he wasn’t conscious of Levi’s feedback, however added, “I agree with it.”
Kennedy’s feedback come after he canceled funding for mRNA shot growth and made different adjustments vaccine coverage that would restrict entry to immunizations, together with gutting the CDC vaccine panel and dropping Covid shot suggestions for sure teams.
It additionally follows a management shakeup on the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention. The White Home final week fired CDC Director Susan Monarez, and 4 senior company officers resigned shortly after, with a few of them citing the politicization of the company and a menace to public well being.
Kennedy defended his choice to fireside all 17 earlier members of the CDC vaccine panel, saying he did not politicize the committee.
“What we did is we removed the conflicts of curiosity. … We depoliticized and put nice scientists on it from a really various group,” the HHS secretary mentioned. “They’re very, very pro-vaccine.”
However a number of of the brand new members Kennedy appointed to the panel, together with Levi, are extensively recognized vaccine critics.
This story is creating. Please examine again for updates.
