Over 1,000 HHS Employees Demand Secretary KennedyS Resignation Amidst Vaccine Controversy
WASHINGTON D.C. – More than 1,000 current and former employees of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have signed a letter demanding the resignation of Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.,citing concerns that his actions are “compromising the health of this nation” through policies perceived as undermining science-based public health measures. The letter, co-signed by six medical partner organizations, represents a significant escalation of internal dissent within the department.
The group asserts their obligation to speak out when the Constitution is violated and the American people are at risk, framing Kennedy’s leadership as a direct threat to public health. They are calling on former President trump to appoint a new health secretary “whose qualifications and experience ensure that health policy is informed by independent and unbiased peer-reviewed science.”
This latest call for Kennedy’s removal follows previous attempts to engage with the Secretary, which the signatories say were ignored. A prior communication addressed concerns about Kennedy’s rhetoric and its potential impact on public health, particularly regarding vaccines. The current crisis was further ignited by an August 8th attack on CDC headquarters in Atlanta, resulting in the death of a police officer, which the HHS statement attributed to an attempt to “politicize a tragedy.”
The controversy stems from Kennedy’s publicly expressed skepticism regarding the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines. President Trump acknowledged the “chaos engulfing the CDC” this week, attributing it to the “vaccines controversy” and claiming drug manufacturers had not been transparent about vaccine “success or failure” in a social media post.
The Trump administration previously supported Kennedy’s decision to fire Susan Monarez, a long-serving infectious disease expert, shortly after her confirmation in July. The White House stated Monarez was dismissed for being “not aligned with the president’s agenda,” a move that prompted bipartisan criticism and a walkout by dozens of CDC staff last month.The HHS workforce, the letter emphasizes, is non-partisan, implementing science-based policies under both Republican and Democratic administrations. “we believe health policy should be based on strong, evidence-based principles rather than partisan politics,” the letter states. “But under Secretary Kennedy’s leadership, HHS policies are placing the health of all Americans at risk, regardless of their politics.”
signatories explicitly stated they were acting in their personal capacities, utilizing personal time and resources, to avoid any appearance of official endorsement.The letter also acknowledges that “countless others” within HHS share these concerns but refrained from signing due to “well-founded fear of retaliation and threats to personal safety.”
this dissent within HHS mirrors similar expressions of concern within other federal agencies. Last week, up to 30 workers at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) were placed on administrative leave after signing a letter protesting Trump’s dismantling of the agency and expressing fears of a disaster akin to Hurricane Katrina.
