Six Former Surgeons General Issue Unprecedented Warning: RFK Jr.’s actions Threaten Public Health
WASHINGTON – In an unusual rebuke, six former U.S. Surgeons General have publicly warned that Robert F. Kennedy Jr., currently serving as a senior advisor within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), is endangering public health through actions that undermine established scientific consensus and dismantle critical health infrastructure. The joint statement, released today, marks an unprecedented level of concern from the nation’s former top medical advisors.
The Surgeons General cite Kennedy’s overhaul of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), replacing scientific experts with individuals lacking qualifications and promoting vaccine conspiracy theories, as a primary cause for alarm. They also point to Kennedy’s decisions impacting the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Management (SAMHSA) and the growing chorus of criticism from health organizations and HHS staff as evidence of a dangerous pattern. This development underscores a broader struggle over the role of science in policymaking and the potential consequences of politicizing public health.
The former Surgeons General’s warning comes amid mounting pressure for President Trump to remove Kennedy from his position. Over the past year,a diverse range of organizations and individuals have voiced concerns,including two psychiatric organizations who stated Kennedy was unfit to serve due to his gutting of SAMHSA,which they argue has put lives at risk. Last month, over 1,000 HHS staffers signed a letter to President Trump asserting Kennedy had endangered “the nation’s health” and should be fired or resign. Concurrently,61 health and advocacy organizations sent a similar request,and earlier this year,nine former directors of the Centers for disease Control and Prevention called for his removal,stating Kennedy’s activities “should alarm every American.”
Specifically,the new ACIP appointees have already begun questioning the safety and efficacy of the hepatitis B vaccine for newborns,despite decades of supporting data. This shift in policy direction raises fears of a resurgence of preventable diseases and a weakening of the nation’s immunization programs.
The HHS has not yet responded to a request for comment from Gizmodo regarding the situation.
