RFK Jr. is facing criticism for his recent comments on Capitol Hill regarding the ongoing measles resurgence in the country. The HHS Secretary stated that the outbreak has “nothing to do” with him. With this statement, he contradicted his previous anti-vaccine stance.
RFK Jr. makes bold comment on measles outbreak
During a recent congressional hearing on April 21, 2026, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. denied having any connection to the measles outbreak in the country. The Health and Human Services Secretary repeatedly insisted that the rising number of measles cases has “nothing to do” with him.
RFK Jr. claimed, “I’ve never been anti-vaccine,” when questioned about the outbreak by fuming Democratic lawmakers during the hearing. The statement has sparked widespread outrage, as the HHS Secretary has long been a vocal critic of vaccines. He went on to defend himself, saying, “The problem is not me. There are people in this country who do not vaccinate” (via CNN).
Rep. Debbie Dingell sharply criticized Kennedy for his previous inaccurate claims about vaccines. She cited the impact of misinformation on people’s minds. “I had seven cases just in the last couple of weeks in my county,” she said. “I’ve met with the family of one of them. I said, ‘Why didn’t you get immunized?’ They said, ‘We’re listening to our government. Our government tells us not to.’”
Measles was officially declared eliminated in the U.S. in 2000, with its vaccine being constantly proven to be a safe and effective way of prevention. However, the country saw a prominent spike in measles cases in the past few years, which threatens its elimination status.
Kennedy further argued that the U.S. potentially losing its elimination status is not linked to his anti-vaccine stance, stating that several countries in Europe have seen a resurgence as well. “It has nothing to do with me,” the HHS Secretary declared, adding, “It has to do [with the fact] that we have a global epidemic.”
He also said that the real reason why U.S. citizens have stopped vaccinating is “because the government lied to them during COVID.”
Originally reported by Namrata Ghosh on Mandatory.
