By Jason Collins
Editor’s note: The opinions expressed here are those of the authors. View more opinions on ScoonTV
For decades, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been a vaccine skeptic, and now he’s taken his fight to the halls of Congress.
What followed was heated debates that saw him pitted against lawmakers and public health officials. Mass firings have many within his own ranks questioning his leadership and long-term strategy. Kennedy’s actions are more than just political theater. They offer a glimpse into how far his influence goes and what this means for the future.
The Congressional Showdown
When Donald Trump appointed Kennedy as Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), he pledged in his February congressional confirmation hearing to “work within the current vaccine approval and safety monitoring systems, and not establish parallel systems” and to “maintain the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices without changes.”
But within the first few months of his role, he had already broken his promises. He altered research priorities at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) by canceling studies on mRNA vaccines. This move leaves Americans more vulnerable to outbreaks of respiratory viruses.
In a statement shared to X, Kennedy had explained that 22 mRNA vaccine projects worth $500 million were canceled. He claimed that the vaccines were ineffective in fighting mutating viruses.
That wasn’t all.
He also hired David Geier, a vaccine skeptic who was disciplined for practicing medicine without a license, to lead a study on the link between vaccines and autism. Yes. He really hired a man who doesn’t believe in vaccines to lead a study on a discredited vaccine theory.
But it’s his clashes with Congress that have become a defining feature of his political brand. In recent months, Kennedy has appeared at multiple hearings where he was challenged on his controversial views. His latest hearing was before the Senate Finance Committee in early September, and things got heated quickly. Kennedy himself appeared more aggressive than usual as he fielded question after question from senators, including some from senators who had previously voted to confirm him.
Senators grilled him over contradictory statements about vaccines and the response to COVID-19. Some even asked him to resign, but Kennedy remained defiant. At one point in the hearing, Kennedy told Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., “This is crazy talk. You’re just making stuff up,” when Hassan had queried Kennedy’s new restrictions on COVID shots. Unperturbed, Hassan had replied, “Sometimes when you make an accusation, it’s kind of a confession, Mr. Kennedy.”
Both Democrats and Republicans have challenged his claims and accused him of fueling mistrust in science. At the same time, his supporters, who were already skeptical of government authority, have branded him as the truth speaker.
Wholesale Firings and Internal Upheaval
Kennedy’s public fights with Congress aren’t the only antics that are making headlines. It’s the things he’s doing quietly in the background. Back in June, reports about super firings emerged. What makes these firings extremely worrying is that they are a result of a core promise broken. During his pledge, Kennedy had promised not to interfere with the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). The ACIP is the nation’s authoritative source on immunization guidelines and has a transparent process for managing potential conflicts of interest.
What did he do instead?
He went and fired all 17 members of the ACIP and replaced them with his own picks, some of whom are well-known for being vaccine skeptics. Later, in a June meeting, the new ACIP cited a nonexistent study to support their false claim regarding vaccine risks.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention head, Susan Monarez’s exit signals the level of internal upheaval Kennedy’s war on vaccines has caused. Along with Monarez, other top officials like Dr. Debra Houry, Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, Dr. Daniel Jernigan, and Dr. Jen Layden also left. In a resignation letter, Dr. Daskalakis wrote,
“I am not able to serve in this role any longer because of the ongoing weaponization of public health.”
Political and Public Implications
Kennedy has twin strategies: confronting Congress and wholesale firings come with some political and public implications.
For his supporters, his defiance and willingness to endure criticism from lawmakers only strengthen his credibility among those who are disillusioned with mainstream politics. But for critics, his actions are worrying.
He reduced transparency by limiting public comment opportunities during the development of new regulations within the ACIP. He has also inserted his own ideological agendas into the ACIP, which erodes trust in the institution and compromises his ability to ensure the committee carries out unbiased science. Now is a time when trust in institutions is already fragile, and his rhetoric is undermining vaccine efforts and creating a hostile environment for scientific evidence. He’s even managed to divide Republicans on the matter of vaccines.
David Elliman, associate professor at University College London, told Al Jazeera.
“My main concern is that this is part of an increasingly ideological rather than evidence-based approach to healthcare and vaccination in particular that is being adopted in the US.”
Members of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform have asked Kennedy to provide detailed information and justification for the firings, which he has not provided yet. Other groups like the American Academy of Physician Associates, the Infectious Diseases Society of America, and the American Association of Nurse Practitioners have expressed their alarm over Kennedy’s actions.
Lawmakers, scientists, and health professionals are calling for politics to be removed from vaccine policy. In early June, over 6,000 health care professionals signed an open letter warning the public that their health is at risk.
Despite all the hearings and criticism thrown his way, Kennedy remains defiant, and with the backing of the president, seems to have leaned into the chaos, with others following suit. Recently, Florida handed vaccine sceptics a big win after Kenndey’s ally, State Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo, unveiled plans to lift vaccine mandates for schoolchildren. Will he be able to expand his appeal beyond those already sympathetic to his cause?
Where is This Heading?
Kennedy’s future remains unclear with two possible outcomes: he cements his role as a populist outsider, or he’s removed from his role after his confrontations and firings leave him with fewer allies. But with a strong backing from Trump and lawmakers like Ladapo following his charge, Kennedy’s campaign and influence look set to grow.
Kennedy’s vaccine wars are a test of how far one man’s influence can stretch over the weight of science, public trust, and politics. Whether he manages to reshape vaccine policy or flames out, one thing is clear: his actions have shaped the vaccine debate so that skepticism will always remain. The jury is still out on whether he’s going to be a disruptive reformer or someone who deepened the health divide in the country, but right now it’s looking like the latter.
Curtis Scoon is the founder of ScoonTv.com Download the ScoonTv App to join our weekly livestream every Tuesday @ 8pm EST! Support true independent media. Become a VIP member www.scoontv.com/vip-signup/ and download the ScoonTv App from your App Store.
