Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock calls HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. "A hazard to the health of the American people"
Sen. Raphael Warnock on Sunday intensified his calls for Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to be removed, accusing him of spreading vaccine misinformation as measles resurges in parts of the country.
In a post on X, Warnock said: "Secretary Kennedy has spent his time in office spreading doubt about vaccines. Now measles is back. He is a threat to our health and must be fired immediately."
The Georgia Democrat's latest criticism follows a heated exchange earlier this fall, when Warnock confronted Kennedy directly during a Sept. 4 Senate Finance Committee hearing. Citing the deaths of children from measles for the first time in two decades, Warnock told Kennedy he was "a hazard to the health of the American people" and urged him to resign. He added that if Kennedy refused, President Trump "should fire you."
"We haven't seen deaths from children from measles in two decades," Warnock told Kennedy at the September hearing. "We're seeing that under your watch."
Kennedy, a longtime vaccine skeptic before entering public office, appeared before the committee to discuss the administration's 2026 health care agenda and defend the chaotic shake-up at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including the firing of its former director. The hearing quickly spiraled into a bipartisan rebuke. Democrats accused Kennedy of undermining public health, while some Republicans expressed concern about his handling of vaccine issues.
Kennedy insisted the CDC changes were necessary and denied pressuring the former director to preapprove vaccine recommendations. He accused her of lying about the circumstances surrounding her firing.
Concerns grow over Kennedy's vaccine positions
Warnock's renewed criticism comes as Kennedy has escalated his own attacks on aluminum adjuvants — components used in many vaccines to strengthen immune response — claiming they are tied to autism, autoimmune conditions, asthma, and food allergies. Medical experts overwhelmingly dispute those claims, and major studies, including a large Danish analysis, have found no evidence linking aluminum in vaccines to childhood disease.
Since taking office, Kennedy has ordered internal reviews of vaccine ingredients, and an upcoming meeting of the federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices includes a discussion of "adjuvants and contaminants." A CDC webpage that previously stated vaccines do not cause autism was also quietly updated on Nov. 19 to say that studies have not "definitively ruled out" a link.
Researchers warn that Kennedy's efforts are part of a broader attempt to sow doubt about vaccine safety and challenge the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, which manufacturers say is essential for maintaining a stable vaccine market.
Measles outbreak sparks new alarm
The debate has intensified as the nation battles record measles outbreaks, particularly in West Texas, where two unvaccinated children died. CBS News reporting shows Kennedy has promoted unproven drug-and-vitamin treatments for measles, praising medications such as budesonide and clarithromycin despite little evidence they work.
"There is no cure for measles, and it can result in serious complications," the American Academy of Pediatrics said last month, calling Kennedy's claims "misleading and dangerous."
An HHS spokesperson confirmed with CBS News that Kennedy has asked the CDC to develop new treatment guidance, saying the agency would work with universities to test possible therapies. The spokesperson also said the CDC continues to recommend vaccination as "the most effective way to prevent the disease," but noted some Americans "may choose not to vaccinate."
Kennedy has repeatedly insisted he is not anti-vaccine, telling CBS News' Dr. Jon LaPook, "What I'm gonna do is make sure that we have good science so that people can make an informed choice."
This story contains previous CBS News reporting.