Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told US lawmakers during confirmation-related congressional hearings that his 2019 visit to Samoa had “nothing to do with vaccines.” Multiple outlets report that newly obtained documents and letters dispute that statement.
According to the reports, the documents include a letter Kennedy wrote to Samoa’s prime minister before the trip. The letter describes plans that focus on studying vaccines, specifically mentioning measles, mumps and rubella (MMR). Outlets say the letter uses the words “vaccine” or “vaccination” multiple times, undermining Kennedy’s later testimony. Some coverage also notes the dispute involves what Kennedy told lawmakers who were positioned to decide on his confirmation.
While the outlets differ in emphasis—some highlight alleged inconsistencies in testimony, others focus on the language used in the pre-trip correspondence—the central point is the same: the newly released communications appear to conflict with Kennedy’s claim that the Samoa visit was unrelated to vaccines.
