Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faced bipartisan criticism during a September Senate Finance Committee hearing for spreading misinformation about mRNA vaccines and public health policy changes1345.
Kennedy accused the pharmaceutical industry and scientific community, including federal agencies, of corruption and collusion, repeatedly emphasizing U.S. chronic disease rates as justification for radical changes at public health institutions15.
He defended firing CDC leadership and stacking advisory panels with vaccine skeptics whose views fall outside scientific consensus, drawing sharp rebukes from senators14.
Kennedy’s statements contradicted years of anti-vaccine advocacy, though he claimed to support established vaccines like measles and polio. Senators pressed him about the ongoing anti-vaccine messaging from organizations he founded2.
Kennedy insisted he was not limiting access to COVID-19 vaccines, but policy changes have unintentionally impeded vaccine availability for millions due to conflicts with state law3.
Senators raised concerns about Kennedy’s alleged spreading of misinformation, undermining public trust, canceled vaccine contracts, and possible research suppression for mRNA vaccines345.
Sources:
1. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-02845-8
2. https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/4-takeaways-rfk-jr-senate-hearing/story?id=118213176
3. https://www.statnews.com/2025/09/05/health-news-rfk-jr-hearing-vaccines-alcohol-study/
4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCY2TwuzwP8
5. https://www.fiercepharma.com/pharma/rfk-jr-lays-blame-pharma-industry-touts-mrna-vaccine-misinformation-heated-senate-hearing