During a congressional budget hearing Wednesday morning, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. side-stepped a direct question about whether he would vaccinate his children against measles should they be young today.
"For measles, probably for measles, you know," Kennedy began, before quickly pivoting. "What I would say is my opinions about vaccines are irrelevant... I don't think people should be taking medical advice from me."
RFK Jr refuses to say if he would vaccinate his children today for measles, then adds, "I don't think people should medical advice from me." pic.twitter.com/icNv0BtxVr
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 14, 2025
The moment came after a congressman noted that Kennedy had previously said he vaccinated his children and stressed this wasn't a "gotcha" moment. But Kennedy remained hesitant, stating, "I don't want to seem like I'm being evasive," while simultaneously declining to give a yes-or-no answer.
"I think if I answer that question directly, it will seem like I'm giving advice to other people, and I don't want to be doing that," he said.
Videoclips of Kennedy's answer reached millions of online users, most of whom criticized his response. "Unacceptable response," one user wrote. "Isn't that literally the job he was given?" another asked, pointing out the irony that Kennedy now leads the nation's top public health agency.
Critics questioned whether Americans should take vaccine policy cues from a man who allegedly vaccinated his "healthy" children while advising others to think about it twice. "Indeed, no one should take medical advice from him," one commenter posted. "100% of his kids are vaccinated," another added flatly.
The Health and Human Services Secretary has come under fire in recent weeks over a string of moves — from backing the end of a federal program that distributes life-saving overdose medication, to floating the idea of a national database for people with autism. He also made headlines for taking a swim in a sewage-contaminated river despite public health warnings advising against it.
A measles outbreak in Texas and New Mexico has intensified scrutiny around Kennedy's approach to public health. A longtime vaccine skeptic, Kennedy has downplayed concerns about his views, arguing that Americans should have the freedom to make their own medical choices.
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