US: RFK Jr. risking 'nation's health' with misinformation

Over 750 US Department of Health and Human Services staff on Wednesday called on Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to ensure health workers' safety.

A signed open letter said health staff were being put at risk by misleading claims about vaccines and infectious diseases.  The letter came in the wake of this month's deadly shooting at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) buildings in Atlanta.

What was said in the letter?

The open letter said Kennedy "is complicit in dismantling America's public health infrastructure and endangering the nation's health by repeatedly spreading inaccurate health information," and implored the health chief to change his stance.

"The deliberate destruction of trust in America's public health workforce puts lives at risk. We urge you to act in the best interest of the American people — your friends, your families, and yourselves," the letter said.

Wednesday's letter was signed by former CDC leaders such as Anne Schuchat, a former principal deputy director, although many who signed did so anonymously for fear of retaliation.

CDC gun attack 'not random'

On August 8, a man fired nearly 200 rounds at six CDC buildings, killing a police officer in the process before taking his own life. Investigators said that notes found at the gunman's residence suggested discontent with the COVID-19 vaccine, blaming it for making him sick.

Those who signed the open letter said that the attack "was not random," and pointed to "growing mistrust in public institutions, driven by politicized rhetoric that has turned public health professionals from trusted experts into targets of villainization — and now, violence."

Kennedy has been a long-time vaccine skeptic and notably removed all 17 members of the CDC's vaccine advisory panel last June.

He announced earlier this month that research funding for mRNA vaccines would be slashed.

Kennedy incorrectly argued that the vaccines had failed to protect effectively against infections like COVID and flu. Multiple studies have found mRNA vaccines were extremely effective against COVID-19 and that they have saved millions of lives.  

Edited by: John Silk