Robert Kennedy Jr defends vaccine stance at House hearing amid measles surge

WASHINGTON, DC: Robert F Kennedy Jr faced immediate scrutiny over his views on vaccines during a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee hearing on Tuesday, April 21, with Representative Diana Harshbarger leading early questioning on the issue.

The hearing, focused on the Trump administration’s fiscal year 2027 budget proposal, quickly turned to public health concerns, particularly the government’s handling of rising measles cases.

Kennedy defends measles outbreak response

Responding to criticism, Kennedy argued that the current measles outbreaks predated his tenure in office and were driven in part by longstanding vaccine hesitancy.

He also sought to place the US situation in a global context, noting that Canada and several other countries have experienced more severe outbreaks on a per capita basis.

His comments suggested that, comparatively, the US response has been more effective than those of some other nations.

Kennedy’s claims on treatment draw attention

Kennedy pointed to early cases within Mennonite communities, recounting conversations with families of children who died during the outbreak.

According to Kennedy, those families alleged that hospitals failed to provide what they considered adequate treatment and instead responded with criticism over vaccination status.

“Both of them believe that if their children had been properly treated, they would have lived,” he said, a claim likely to draw further scrutiny from medical professionals.

Medical consensus on vaccines

Public health experts continue to stress that measles vaccines are safe and highly effective in preventing the disease.

The US has recorded more than 1,700 measles cases so far this year, according to previous reporting, making it one of the most severe outbreaks since 2000 and raising concerns about declining vaccination rates.

The ongoing hearing is expected to cover a wide range of issues beyond vaccines, including Kennedy’s proposed overhaul of federal health agencies and broader healthcare policy priorities under the Trump administration.

Lawmakers are likely to press him further on how his views could shape the national health strategy. Kennedy’s appearance before the House marks just one of several engagements with Congress.

He is scheduled to testify again before the Senate later in the day, following a similar session with lawmakers last week.