Washington — Newly released correspondence and letters obtained by the Associated Press and The Guardian indicate that Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. sought to examine Samoa’s measles‑mumps‑rubella (MMR) vaccine program before his 2019 trip to the Pacific nation. The documents directly challenge Kennedy’s repeated statements to Congress that the visit was unrelated to vaccines.
Letter to Samoan leadership referenced vaccines
In a January 20, 2019 letter addressed to Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, Kennedy wrote on Children’s Health Defense letterhead that his team wanted to conduct a “detailed health informatics assessment” of Samoa’s MMR vaccines after the deaths of two children who had received the shots. The word “vaccine” appears eight times in the letter, and Kennedy suggested that manufacturing issues might have contributed to the fatalities.
Congressional testimony contradicted
During his confirmation hearings last year, Kennedy told senators that his Samoa trip was solely to introduce a medical informatics system and had “nothing to do with vaccines.” He repeated the claim in multiple exchanges with Senators Ron Wyden and Edward Markey. The new documents show that his earlier written request explicitly focused on vaccine evaluation, raising questions about the accuracy of his testimony.
Administration response
The Department of Health and Human Services responded to AP inquiries by stating the Samoa visit was “unrelated to vaccines.” The department also called any implication that Kennedy lied under oath “defamatory,” noting that Kennedy was not under oath during his confirmation hearing. Legal experts remind that knowingly providing false material to Congress can be a crime, even without an oath.
Political implications
Lawyers familiar with Senate procedure say lawmakers could use the discrepancy as a basis for further hearings or an impeachment inquiry, though such action appears unlikely given the current Republican‑led Congress, which aligns with President Trump’s administration.
Impact on Samoa’s vaccine program
At the time of Kennedy’s visit, Samoa was recovering from a 2018 measles outbreak that killed 83 people, mostly children under five. The nation had halted all vaccinations for ten months after two children died following a faulty MMR dose. Vaccination rates fell dramatically, and the outbreak resurfaced later that year. Public‑health officials have said anti‑vaccine activists, some of whom met with Kennedy, hampered response efforts.
Senate confirmation and subsequent actions
Kennedy secured confirmation by a narrow 52‑48 vote, receiving crucial support from Republican Senator Bill Cassidy, who cited Kennedy’s pledge to maintain the federal vaccine advisory committee unchanged. After taking office, Kennedy dismissed all 17 committee members and appointed his own advisers, prompting Cassidy to say his commitments were violated.
While the new documents do not prove illegal conduct, they add to ongoing scrutiny of Kennedy’s past anti‑vaccine activism and raise concerns about transparency in the confirmation process.
Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.
