Blumenthal Demands Answers as HHS Secretary Kennedy Fails to Address Ongonig Measles Outbreak, Undercuts Future Flu Response

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) this week wrote to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy raising concerns over HHS’s response to the ongoing measles outbreak in light of troubling comments from Kennedy downplaying the severity of the outbreak and recommending unproven medical treatments for measles. In a letter sent yesterday, Blumenthal is seeking answers from Kennedy about how the agency intends to increase vaccination levels to protect communities from additional measles outbreaks, whether employees working within the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Disease or at the National Vaccine Program Office were fired during recent layoffs, and why the upcoming Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) meeting was cancelled.

“The country is currently facing the largest measles outbreak in six years. As of today, two unvaccinated individuals, including one child, have died, marking the first measles-related deaths in a decade. Despite the increasing severity of this outbreak, you have abjectly failed at using your current position as the nation’s top health official to educate the public and promote medically accurate and evidence-based solutions. Instead, you have downplayed the severity of the current measles outbreak and spewed misinformation on prevention efforts and treatment,” Blumenthal wrote.

Blumenthal continued, “It is outrageous that 25 years after the measles was declared eliminated from the United States, your response to a growing, deadly outbreak is anything other than fully supporting science and explicitly recommending that the American people protect themselves and their loved ones through vaccination. We know that strong vaccination rates dramatically reduce the likelihood of disease outbreaks. Despite this, likely in part due to your continued anti-vaccine advocacy, vaccination rates are falling well below recommended levels. In Gaines Country, Texas, the current epicenter of the measles outbreak, the vaccination rate for kindergartners is only 82 percent.”

Blumenthal also raised concerns that HHS’s cancellation of a critical committee meeting that evaluates safety, effectiveness, and appropriate use of vaccines could weaken future public health responses, “Not only have you frustrated efforts to combat the current measles outbreak, but your recent actions have also jeopardized our ability to prevent future flu outbreaks. Last week, you cancelled an upcoming meeting of the VRBPAC at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).”

“In times like these the public needs a strong leader who will tell them the truth and put their health and safety first. You are falling short. Since taking control of HHS you have fired thousands of employees tasked with protecting the public from emerging health threats, swayed various nonpartisan career officials to resign due to your leadership, and allegedly drove the Assistant Secretary of Public Affairs to leave less than two weeks after his appointment. This alarming trend does not inspire confidence in your ability to run the agency my Republican colleagues handed you and increasingly confirms my position that you are a dangerous person for the job,” Blumenthal concluded.

The full text of Blumenthal’s letter is available here and below.

Dear Secretary Kennedy,

I write today to raise serious concerns over your ability to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through the current measles outbreak and future public health situations, such as the annual flu season. It appears that, despite your attempts to walk back your well-documented anti-vaccine views during your confirmation process, you are still allowing your own uninformed and unscientific beliefs to taint the decisions you are now making as the Secretary of HHS.

The country is currently facing the largest measles outbreak in six years. As of today, two unvaccinated individuals, including one child, have died, marking the first measles-related deaths in a decade.[1] Despite the increasing severity of this outbreak, you have abjectly failed at using your current position as the nation’s top health official to educate the public and promote medically accurate and evidence-based solutions. Instead, you have downplayed the severity of the current measles outbreak and spewed misinformation on prevention efforts and treatment.

In a recent interview, you refused to mention vaccines and instead stated that supplements, including “cod liver oil” could be used to treat measles.[2] The chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Infectious Diseases rejected this, stating that “cod liver oil is ‘by no means’ an evidence-based treatment for measles” and that he had “never heard of a physician using the supplement against measles.”[3] You also highlighted that HHS was shipping Vitamin A to the outbreak.[4] While Vitamin A can be used in certain circumstances as a supportive treatment, it is mostly used with malnourished patients with Vitamin A deficiencies. This treatment is far less useful in the United States, where Vitamin A deficiencies affect less than one percent of the population.[5] Further, Vitamin A is not a preventive measure. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, it cannot be used as a vaccine alternative and can actually be dangerous in children.[6]

As you know, two doses of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine are 97 percent effective in preventing measles and are, by far, the most effective medical tool utilized to prevent the disease.[7] Instead of promoting this medical fact, helping to educate unvaccinated or under-vaccinated communities, you continue to minimize MMR vaccine importance, instead highlighting “dangerous and ineffective” supplements as an alternative.[8]

It is outrageous that 25 years after the measles was declared eliminated from the United States, your response to a growing, deadly outbreak is anything other than fully supporting science and explicitly recommending that the American people protect themselves and their loved ones through vaccination. We know that strong vaccination rates dramatically reduce the likelihood of disease outbreaks. Despite this, likely in part due to your continued anti-vaccine advocacy, vaccination rates are falling well below recommended levels. In Gaines Country, Texas, the current epicenter of the measles outbreak, the vaccination rate for kindergartners is only 82 percent.[9] One county in Arizona say their measles vaccination rate fell from 83 percent to an alarming 75 percent in recent years.[10] As vaccination rates for serious infectious diseases including measles, polio, and whooping cough continue to decline, the likelihood that the United States will face continued outbreaks will only increase.

Not only have you frustrated efforts to combat the current measles outbreak, but your recent actions have also jeopardized our ability to prevent future flu outbreaks. Last week, you cancelled an upcoming meeting of the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).[11] This Committee, which is comprised of medical and public health experts, reviews and evaluates data concerning the safety, effectiveness, and appropriate use of vaccines.[12] Notably this Committee was scheduled to meet on March 13, 2025 to discuss which influenza (flu) strains to use in the development of vaccines for the upcoming 2025-2026 flu season.[13] It takes months for drug manufacturers to create enough vaccine stock for the upcoming flu season and it is important that they have the recommendation from the VRBPAC as soon as possible to ensure providers are prepared when flu season begins in October. This meeting is critically important to ensuring Americans can protect themselves from contracting the flu and its abrupt cancellation puts the public health of the nation at risk.

HHS has indicated that, despite the cancellation of this meeting, the flu vaccine will be available for the upcoming flu season without VRBPAC input. However, I am deeply troubled by the Administration’s decision to make a recommendation directly to manufacturers without the opinion of independent experts.[14] This is especially concerning in light of President Trump’s decision to cut critical communication between the CDC and the World Health Organization, who recently conducted their international meeting to discuss the upcoming flu season, and your recent decision to cancel a meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.[15]

In times like these the public needs a strong leader who will tell them the truth and put their health and safety first. You are falling short. Since taking control of HHS you have fired thousands of employees tasked with protecting the public from emerging health threats, swayed various nonpartisan career officials to resign due to your leadership, and allegedly drove the Assistant Secretary of Public Affairs to leave less than two weeks after his appointment.[16] This alarming trend does not inspire confidence in your ability to run the agency my Republican colleagues handed you and increasingly confirms my position that you are a dangerous person for the job.

Given the serious impacts your decisions have on public health, I request answers to the following questions by March 20, 2025:

1. Do you believe that childhood vaccinations are important in preventing the spread of infectious diseases?
2. Do you agree that the MMR vaccine is the most effective way to protect individuals against measles?
3. Will you recommend that unvaccinated children receive the MMR vaccine?
4. Given the falling rates of childhood vaccinations across the country, what is your plan to increase vaccination levels?
   1. Is HHS deploying any resources to increase education and awareness of the MMR vaccine for individuals in and around communities impacted by the measles outbreak?
   2. How does HHS plan to improve education and outreach to communities not directly impacted to prevent additional outbreaks?
5. What are the current staffing levels at the National Vaccine Program Office?
   1. Have any staffers at the National Vaccine Program Office been terminated? If so, how many and why?
6. What are the current staffing levels at the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Disease at the CDC?
   1. Have any staffers at the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Disease have been terminated? If so, how many and why?
7. Were any employees directly or indirectly working at the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Disease or at the National Vaccine Program Office fired during the recent HHS layoffs?
   1. If so, please describe their roles, why they were terminated, and what analysis HHS performed before their firings to ensure that vaccination efforts would not suffer.
8. Why was the VRBPAC meeting scheduled for March 13, 2025 canceled?
   1. Were you involved in any way in the decision to cancel the VRBPAC meeting? If so, in what way?
   2. If HHS will not rely on the VRBPAC for expert input, which experts will be consulted in providing recommendation pertaining to which strain of flu vaccine manufacturers should produce?

                                               i.     Please provide a list of the individuals consulted.

                                             ii.     What are the credentials of the individuals consulted?

8. 3. When can manufacturers expect to receive this recommendation?
9. Will you reschedule the meeting immediately? If not, why not?

Sincerely,

-30-