More than 20 leading medical organizations have called on U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to step down, accusing him of undermining decades of scientific progress and endangering public health.
In a joint statement released Wednesday, the groups said Kennedy’s recent actions—including the dismissal of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) director—pose serious risks to Americans’ safety.
“Our country needs leadership that promotes open, honest dialogue, not one that disregards decades of lifesaving science, spreads misinformation, reverses medical progress, and dismantles programs that protect us,” the statement read. “We are gravely concerned that Americans will needlessly suffer and die as a result of policies that turn away from sound interventions.”
The signatories included the Infectious Diseases Society of America, the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, the American Public Health Association, and the American Association of Immunologists.
Kennedy, who has long challenged mainstream vaccine policies, has recently withdrawn federal recommendations for COVID-19 vaccination in pregnant women and healthy children. In June, he dismissed all members of the CDC’s vaccine advisory panel, replacing them with advisers sympathetic to his stance, including prominent anti-vaccine advocates.
In a social media post Wednesday, Kennedy defended his agenda, saying his mission was “to restore the CDC’s focus on infectious disease” and to “rebuild trust through transparency and competence.”
Last week, Kennedy fired CDC Director Susan Monarez less than a month into her tenure. Several senior officials have since resigned, citing disagreements over vaccine and public health policies.
Adding to the pressure, more than 1,000 current and former employees of the Department of Health and Human Services have signed an open letter urging Kennedy to resign—or be removed from office.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
Chewing Gum Offers Benefits Beyond Oral Health, Study Finds
Heart Health Experts Say Two Metrics Could Predict Longevity
U.S. Faces Deepening Political Divide Over Vaccination Policies
