RFK Jr told Congress a trip to Samoa had ‘nothing to do with vaccines.’ A letter from 2019 says otherwise

Newly-obtained documents contradict assurances given by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to senators during his confirmation process last year, when he repeatedly claimed a 2019 trip to Samoa prior to a deadly measles outbreak had "nothing to do with vaccines."The records, obtained by The Associated Press and The Guardian, reveal that Kennedy—then a prominent anti-vaccine campaigner—wrote to the Samoan prime minister ahead of his visit, asking to evaluate the nation’s measles, mumps and rubella vaccines following the deaths of two children. In the letter, he used the words vaccine or vaccination eight times.The correspondence calls into question Kennedy’s truthfulness in his congressional testimony. During a tough confirmation battle where he relied on support from skeptical Republican senators, Kennedy also promised to uphold federal vaccine policies that he subsequently sought to alter after taking office."I am writing this letter to you in the hope that we might be helpful to the people of your great nation," Kennedy wrote, suggesting the children's deaths could have stemmed from manufacturing problems. He added: "I would propose my team conduct detailed health informatics assessment in Samoa of what happened with your MMR vaccines,"In response to questions from the AP, the Department of Health and Human Services maintained that the visit to Samoa "was unrelated to vaccines."RFK Jr, accompanied by his wife Cheryl Hines and CHD colleague Michael Graven, visited Samoa in May and June 2019 (Samoa Observer)"Any claim or insinuation based on these letters that Secretary Kennedy lied under oath or to Congress is not only false but outright defamatory," the department said in a written statement. Kennedy was not placed under oath for his confirmation hearing. Providing knowingly false material testimony to Congress is a crime punishable by prison regardless of whether a witness is under oath, though prosecutions are rare.HHS declined to make Kennedy available for an interview, while the White House did not respond to a request for comment. Requests for comment sent to the Samoan prime minister’s office and the former prime minister who corresponded with Kennedy were also unanswered.The trip to Samoa remains one of the most contentious moments of Kennedy’s career. At the time, he headed a nonprofit organization known for anti-vaccine advocacy. Critics contend his visit emboldened local anti-vaccine campaigners in Samoa before a measles outbreak swept the country, killing 83 people, primarily children under the age of 5.Experts in Senate procedure noted that lawmakers could potentially cite Kennedy’s statements to initiate hearings, launch an impeachment inquiry, or create procedural hurdles. However, such actions remain improbable under the current Republican-controlled Congress, which is aligned with President Donald Trump's administration.RFK Jr repeatedly insisted vaccines weren’t the reason for the tripAt the start of Trump’s second term, Kennedy—a central figure in the anti-vaccine movement prior to entering public office—faced significant resistance in his bid to become health secretary. Lawmakers across both parties had voiced concern over his anti-vaccine statements, prompting him to reassure senators during confirmation hearings that he supported childhood vaccinations.The Samoa visit was also subjected to repeated questioning. Kennedy told senators that his time in Samoa did not alter decisions by local residents on whether to vaccinate. On multiple occasions, he explicitly denied that vaccines were the reason for his trip.Questioned by Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Kennedy testified: "I went there, nothing to do with vaccines. I went there to introduce a medical informatics system that would digitalize records in Samoa and make health delivery much more efficient."The next day, when asked by Sen. Edward Markey, D-Mass., Kennedy stated: "My purpose in going down there had nothing to do with vaccines."Kennedy, then a prominent anti-vaccine activist, preempted the visit with a letter to the Samoan prime minister requesting to study the Pacific island nation’s measles, mumps and rubella vaccines (Getty)Under further inquiry, Kennedy reiterated that vaccines were not the purpose of the trip before adding: "My purpose in the trip was not to — I ended up having conversations with people, some of whom I never intended to meet."Ultimately, Kennedy secured crucial backing from Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, a physician who chairs the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and a staunch advocate for vaccination. Kennedy was confirmed by the Senate in a 52-48 vote.Cassidy explained his vote was based on firm commitments that, as health secretary, Kennedy would not alter specific vaccine guidance and policies. Specifically, Cassidy noted in a floor speech that Kennedy promised to leave a federal vaccine advisory committee intact "without changes." Upon taking office, Kennedy removed all 17 panel members and replaced them with his own appointees.Cassidy later stated that his trust in Kennedy had been broken. "The commitments that were made to me have been violated," Cassidy remarked on CBS's Face the Nation in June.For years, Kennedy served as chair and chief legal counsel of Children’s Health Defense, a nonprofit group focused on anti-vaccine advocacy. The organization turned its attention to Samoa in July 2018 after two infants died from receiving a tainted MMR vaccine that had been incorrectly prepared. The nurses involved were charged criminally the following month and eventually pleaded guilty to manslaughter.Samoan authorities suspended all vaccinations for 10 months until April 2019, leading to a severe drop in immunization rates.During the suspension, CHD began reaching out to the Samoan government, according to emails previously obtained by the AP and The Guardian through a lawsuit against the State Department assisted by the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press.Letters show RFK Jr wanted to study Samoa’s use of MMR vaccineIn the newly disclosed letter dated Jan. 20, 2019, written on CHD letterhead, Kennedy addressed then-Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi to outline his intent to study Samoa’s MMR vaccine usage.Kennedy suggested the deaths might be linked to problems with specific vaccine lots and stated his team wanted to evaluate this possibility via a "detailed health informatics assessment." He claimed that investigating "adverse health events associated with vaccines" was difficult and time-consuming in most countries, arguing that health information systems were rarely built to quickly examine links "between diagnoses and specific vaccination events."The letter did not explicitly mention anti-vaccine campaigning.The prime minister replied a month later, indicating interest in CHD's assessment of the MMR vaccines. "It is certainly beneficial for Samoa to have the benefit of your Team’s independent health assessment of our MMR Vaccines and I would welcome with much anticipation your Team’s proposed visit to our islands," he wrote, copying a U.S. Embassy official on the response.CHD did not respond to a request for comment.Kennedy, accompanied by his wife, actor Cheryl Hines, and CHD colleague Michael Graven, visited Samoa in May and June 2019. By that time, vaccination efforts had resumed, and Samoa's top health official had publicly stated that human error—not a vaccine flaw—was responsible for the infants' deaths.During the trip, Kennedy met with anti-vaccine activists, including one who helped organize the visit alongside a U.S. Embassy employee, the AP and The Guardian previously reported.Months later, with vaccination levels still critically low, a measles outbreak swept Samoa, infecting thousands.Public health experts stated that efforts to curb the epidemic were hindered by anti-vaccine activists, some of whom were reportedly emboldened by Kennedy’s visit.The AP and The Guardian previously reported that State Department and UNICEF officials had privately acknowledged the trip was centered on vaccines. In response, several Democratic lawmakers, including Wyden and Markey, have stated that Kennedy lied to or misled the Senate.