RFK Jr.'s Misleading Denial of His Role in Samoa's Deadly Measles Outbreak

[Social Media]

 

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a prominent anti-vaccine advocate, has been linked to the deadly measles outbreak in Samoa in 2019, which claimed the lives of 83 people, mostly children. In the documentary "Shot in the Arm" (2023), Kennedy was asked about the outbreak and claimed, “I’m aware there was a measles outbreak…I had nothing to do with people not vaccinating in Samoa. I never told anybody not to vaccinate. I didn’t go there with any reason to do with that.” This statement, however, is misleading and sidesteps his significant connection to the tragic event.

 

Kennedy's nonprofit organization, Children’s Health Defense (CHD), played a role in spreading misinformation that contributed to the decline in measles vaccination rates in Samoa. Before the outbreak, measles was not a significant issue in Samoa. However, in 2018, two infants died after receiving the measles vaccine, which led to the country temporarily halting its vaccine program. Vaccine opponents, including CHD, exploited these deaths to raise concerns about vaccine safety, causing the vaccination rate to plummet from the 60-70% range to 31%. The actual cause of the infants' deaths was not the vaccine itself but a mistake made by two nurses who mixed the vaccine with a muscle relaxant. Despite this revelation, CHD did not update its social media posts that suggested the vaccine was to blame.

 

During this period of declining vaccination coverage, Kennedy visited Samoa in June 2019 and supported local anti-vaxxers who used the deaths of the infants to further reduce vaccination rates. He met with Taylor Winterstein, a prominent anti-vaccine advocate, and in an Instagram post, Winterstein expressed her admiration for Kennedy, highlighting his influence. Public health experts criticized Kennedy's visit, stating that it amplified anti-vaccine voices in Samoa.

 

Kennedy later claimed his meeting with Winterstein was a coincidence but admitted that his trip to Samoa was arranged by Edwin Tamasese, another prominent Samoan anti-vaxxer, and funded by CHD. Kennedy insisted that the purpose of his visit was to discuss a medical informatics system with Samoan government officials, which would assess the safety and efficacy of medical interventions, including vaccines. However, his interactions and public statements indicated a clear anti-vaccine agenda.

 

After the measles outbreak in November 2019, the Samoan government launched an emergency compulsory vaccination program to contain the spread. Winterstein and Tamasese opposed this effort, spreading misinformation and comparing the vaccination campaign to Nazi Germany. Tamasese called the vaccination operation a “killing spree” and advocated for alternatives like papaya leaf extract and vitamins instead of conventional medicine and vaccines. He was eventually arrested and charged with incitement against a government order for his public opposition.

 

During the outbreak, CHD wrote to the Samoan Prime Minister, suggesting that the measles vaccine itself might be responsible for the outbreak, mirroring Tamasese’s claims. Kennedy’s group continued to cast doubt on the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine, even as the outbreak caused thousands of cases and numerous deaths.

 

In early 2021, Kennedy praised Tamasese as a “medical freedom hero” in a blog post, downplaying the severity of the measles outbreak and blaming the vaccine and hospital protocols for the deaths. A photo accompanying the post showed Kennedy with Tamasese and Winterstein, further solidifying his support for anti-vaccine activists.

 

Kennedy’s public statements and actions demonstrate a clear pattern of promoting vaccine misinformation and supporting anti-vaccine activists, both in Samoa and globally. Despite his claims in the "Shot in the Arm" documentary, Kennedy’s involvement in spreading anti-vaccine rhetoric and misinformation significantly contributed to the deadly measles outbreak in Samoa. His actions illustrate the dangerous impact of anti-vaccine advocacy on public health and his consistent attempts to evade responsibility for the consequences of his influence.

 

Credit: Mother Jones 2024-07-04

 

Get our Daily Newsletter - Click HERE to subscribe

 

 

[impulse]

Reads like yet another DNC sponsored hit piece to keep more Dem voters from switching their vote away from Biden Michelle, to RFK Jr.

 

[Purdey]

Everything Kennedy says cannot be trusted. His misinformation is the stuff of legend. As a recovering heroin addict and liar his own family does not recommend he propose himself a presidential candidate.

 

https://www.factcheck.org/2023/11/scicheck-rfk-jr-incorrectly-denies-past-remarks-on-vaccine-safety-and-effectiveness/

https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2024-06-20/robert-kennedy-addict-reform-plans

https://www.annenbergpublicpolicycenter.org/fact-checking-presidential-candidate-robert-f-kennedy-jr-on-vaccines-autism-and-covid-19/

.

 

[john donson]

wild measles or vaccine induced measles 

[stevenl]

5 hours ago, impulse said:

Reads like yet another DNC sponsored hit piece to keep more Dem voters from switching their vote away from Biden Michelle, to RFK Jr.

 

Reads like he contributed to many avoidable deaths an refuses to take responsibility.