Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) has brought to light a series of emails from the Health and Human Services (HHS), indicating potential interference by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Sanders, a key member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), disclosed these emails on Thursday. The emails, provided by former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Chief Medical Officer Dr. Debra Houry, seem to reveal Kennedy exerting pressure on the CDC regarding its vaccine messaging.
The emails imply that Kennedy instructed the CDC’s vaccine advisory panel to restrict vaccine availability, permitted researchers to access confidential data to back the debunked theory that vaccines cause autism, and modified public guidelines for COVID-19 vaccinations without CDC consultation.
Further emails show that Matthew Buckham, Kennedy’s former chief of staff, discussed with ex-CDC Director Susan Monarez in August the necessity for a political review of significant CDC decisions. Less than a week later, Kennedy dismissed Monarez for not approving recommendations from the CDC’s vaccine panel, as per Sanders.
An email shows a senior adviser to RFK Jr. sought guidance on removing vaccines from the Vaccines for Children program, which provides free immunizations to eligible children. Sanders also accused Kennedy of repeatedly misleading Congress about vaccine recommendations and public access to vaccines.
CDC did not immediately respond to Benzinga’s request for comments.
CDC Cuts Face Growing Scrutiny
This revelation comes in the wake of the CDC’s decision to halt testing for 27 infectious diseases, including COVID-19 and rabies, as part of agency downsizing under the HHS.
Since RFK Jr. became HHS secretary in February 2025, the CDC has undergone major downsizing and revised its COVID-19 vaccine and childhood immunization recommendations, drawing criticism from the American Academy of Pediatrics. Despite ending testing for certain diseases, the CDC would continue to provide information about them on its website.
Notably, President Donald Trump‘s proposed fiscal 2027 budget seeks a 12.5% cut to the Health Department as part of broader reductions in non-defense spending.
Furthermore, Kennedy faced criticism from Congress over proposed health budget cuts and changes in vaccine policy. During a heated hearing, Rep. Linda Sánchez criticized the CDC’s decision to scale back pro-vaccine messaging amid measles outbreaks. Kennedy Jr. acknowledged that a child who died of measles in Texas “could possibly” have been saved by vaccination, but did not directly defend the policy.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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