Over 750 current and former staff members of the Health and Human Services department have signed a letter addressing the statements made by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. They believe his remarks contributed to a recent shooting incident at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and are urging him to take decisive steps in response.
The letter says Kennedy is “complicit” in efforts to spread mistrust in public institutions and the vilification of public health workers.
The letter outlines several controversial comments made by Kennedy about public health. This includes his description of the CDC as a “cesspool of corruption,” false allegations that mRNA vaccines are ineffective against COVID-19, unwarranted doubts about the safety and effectiveness of the measles vaccine, and incorrect claims that childhood vaccines lead to autism.
On August 8, a shooting at the CDC took place, during which more than 180 bullets were fired at its Atlanta campus. Fortunately, CDC employees were not harmed, but a police officer lost their life before the shooter ultimately took his own life.
Authorities discovered documents at the residence of the shooter, Patrick Joseph White, indicating his anger over COVID-19 vaccines. White’s father mentioned his son had mental health challenges and was motivated by misinformation about COVID-19, believing the vaccine had negatively affected him.
Following the shooting, Kennedy disputed the statements made by law enforcement, claiming they were uncertain about the shooter’s intentions. While he condemned political violence, he simultaneously criticized the CDC and voiced his intent to restore it to “gold-standard science.”
Kennedy has persistently shared opinions on health care that lack scientific validation. This includes skepticism about vaccines and the incorrect assertion that Vitamin A can cure measles, which is scientifically unfounded.
The workers who signed the letter are asking Kennedy to stop spreading misinformation about vaccines, public health and infectious disease, to affirm the CDC’s scientific integrity and to protect the safety of HHS workers.
