New Documents Cast Doubt on Kennedy Jr.'s Testimony About His 2019 Trip to Samoa
- Robert F. Kennedy Jr. claimed his 2019 trip to Samoa was unrelated to vaccines, but new documents contradict this statement.
- In a letter to Samoa's Prime Minister, Kennedy requested to study the country's MMR vaccines after the deaths of two children who had received them.
- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services stated that any claims of Kennedy lying under oath are false and defamatory.
- Kennedy's visit to Samoa has been controversial, with critics arguing it fueled anti-vaccine sentiment leading to a measles outbreak that killed 83 people.
- Kennedy received confirmation as Secretary of Health with support from Senator Bill Cassidy, despite his previous anti-vaccine activism.
U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. repeatedly told lawmakers that his 2019 trip to Samoa, prior to a deadly measles outbreak, had nothing to do with vaccines. However, new documents obtained by The Associated Press and The Guardian refute this testimony.
Kennedy, who was then a prominent anti-vaccine activist, preceded the trip with a letter to Samoa's Prime Minister requesting to study the country's MMR vaccines after the deaths of two children who had received them. In the letter, he mentioned the word vaccine or vaccination eight times, raising questions about the truthfulness of his testimony before Congress.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services responded to inquiries stating that the trip was "not related to vaccines" and labeled any insinuation that Kennedy lied under oath as false and defamatory. Kennedy was not under oath during his confirmation hearing, but knowingly providing materially false testimony to Congress is a crime that can carry a prison sentence.
Kennedy's visit to Samoa has become one of the most controversial episodes of his career, with critics arguing that it fueled anti-vaccine sentiment in Samoa, which later suffered a measles outbreak that resulted in the deaths of 83 people, mostly children under five. Despite this, Kennedy secured crucial support from Republican Senator Bill Cassidy, leading to his confirmation by a vote of 52 to 48.
新文件质疑肯尼迪 Jr. 关于2019年访问萨摩亚的证词
美国卫生部长罗伯特·F·肯尼迪 Jr. 一再告诉立法者，他2019年访问萨摩亚的行程与疫苗无关，但新获得的文件对此证词提出了质疑。
当时作为著名反疫苗活动家的肯尼迪在访问前给萨摩亚总理写了一封信，请求研究该国的麻疹、腮腺炎和风疹疫苗，原因是两名接种儿童的死亡。在信中，他提到“疫苗”或“接种”一词八次，这引发了对他在国会证词真实性的质疑。
美国卫生与公共服务部回应询问时表示，此次访问“与疫苗无关”，并称任何暗示肯尼迪在宣誓下撒谎的说法都是虚假和诽谤。肯尼迪在确认听证会上并未宣誓，但故意向国会提供实质性虚假证词是一种犯罪，可能面临监禁。
肯尼迪访问萨摩亚已成为他职业生涯中最具争议的事件之一，批评者认为这助长了萨摩亚的反疫苗情绪，导致该国后来的麻疹疫情，造成83人死亡，主要是五岁以下的儿童。尽管如此，肯尼迪仍获得了共和党参议员比尔·卡西迪的关键支持，最终以52票对48票获得确认。