RFK Jr. Accuses Immigrants of Disease Outbreaks, Deflects from Vaccine Misinformation Role
Health and Human Services Secretary RFK Jr. has sparked controversy by blaming immigrants for multiple infectious disease outbreaks in the United States, while avoiding accountability for his own role as a prominent source of vaccine misinformation. The secretary made these xenophobic remarks during a House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing on Tuesday, which focused on his agency's 2027 budget.
Lawmaker Challenges Secretary on Rising Measles Cases
At the hearing, Representative Debbie Dingell, a Democrat from Michigan, expressed deep concern to Kennedy, a longtime anti-vaccine advocate, about the increasing number of infectious disease cases, including measles and polio. Dingell highlighted that she had encountered seven measles cases in her county recently, with outbreaks traced to locations like grocery stores and colleges.
"Every patient, every child with measles should be treated with compassion. But I had seven cases just in the last couple of weeks in my county. The contagious spots have been grocery stores and colleges, you can't stop it," Dingell stated, referring to measles, a highly contagious disease that U.S. officials declared eliminated in 2000.
She continued, "I've met with the family of one of them, and I said, 'Why didn't you get immunized?' And they said, 'We're listening to our government. Our government tells us not to.'"
Kennedy Shifts Blame to Immigrants, Ignoring Vaccine Misinformation
Despite being a vocal opponent of vaccines, Secretary Kennedy attempted to attribute the outbreaks entirely to immigrants arriving from countries where measles has not been eliminated. He framed the issue as a global epidemic rather than addressing it as a national public health crisis.
"It has nothing to do with me," he told lawmakers. "If you're worried about polio and tuberculosis, you should look at the immigration policies in this country. 'Cause the place where it's occurring are the places where the immigrants are going, because they're not vaccinated."
A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services did not immediately respond to requests for evidence supporting Kennedy's claims. Dingell rejected his answer, reminding him that many Americans have ceased getting vaccinated due to misinformation.
Public Health Experts Warn of Declining Vaccination Rates
Public health experts emphasize that a 95% vaccination rate is necessary to prevent outbreaks. However, data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that national vaccination rates dropped to 92.5% during the 2024-25 school year. The United States is at significant risk of losing its measles elimination status, with several states struggling to contain outbreaks that originated in Texas last year.
Kennedy attributed the decline in inoculation rates to the U.S. government's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, during which he spread confusion and misinformation about vaccine safety and efficacy. Notably, similar efforts to inaccurately blame the spread of COVID-19 on Chinese individuals led to increased racism and violence against Asian communities in the U.S.
Dingell criticized Kennedy's appointments, stating, "And you're hiring people that are vaccine-skeptic health appointees, and they are spreading, quite frankly, lies about vaccine safety."
As measles cases surge globally, with Canada recently losing its elimination status, the U.S. faces a rapid decline in its ability to protect citizens from preventable diseases, highlighting the critical need for accurate public health information and robust vaccination efforts.
