Robert F. Kennedy Jr., nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), appeared before the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday for his confirmation hearing, where he was questioned about his alleged role in the 2019 measles outbreak in Samoa.
Kennedy sought to clarify the events in Samoa, explaining that prior to the outbreak, two children had died following administration of the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine, leading to a steep decline in vaccination rates.
“In Samoa, in 2017 or 2015, there were two kids who died following the MMR vaccine,” Kennedy stated. “Vaccination rates in Samoa dropped precipitously from about 63 percent to the mid-30s, so they’ve never been very high.”
Wyden: I’m worried about your impact on vaccination rates in Samoa
RFK: Here’s what actually happened in Samoa …
Wyden: I’m going to stop you right there! pic.twitter.com/1Ayt4MPk64
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) January 29, 2025
He added that in 2018, two more children died after receiving the vaccine, prompting the Samoan government to ban the MMR vaccine entirely.
“I arrived a year later when vaccination rates were already below any previous level,” Kennedy said, emphasizing that his visit to Samoa in June 2019—two months before