More than 750 current and former employees of the U.S. health department have published a letter denounced Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, saying his “dangerous and deceptive statements” have prompted recent violence at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) headquarters.
Officials said the man who shot at the CDC this month killed a police officer who expressed distrust of the Covid-19-19 vaccine.
Staff said in the letter that the attack was because “politicized rhetoric” drove distrust of the institution.
They also said Kennedy put Americans’ health at risk and undermined the country’s ability to respond to public health emergencies.
“Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., is accomplice in demolishing U.S. public health infrastructure and endangering U.S. health by repeatedly spreading inaccurate health information,” they wrote in a letter to Congress and Kennedy, and published on a website called Save HHS.
The signatories are affiliated with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health and Public Services. Many graduate degrees listed with names, such as doctoral degrees.
The BBC has contacted HHS for comment.
Kennedy touted transparency in regaining public trust, saying in a recent interview with Scripps News: “The way we make the public believe us is by telling the truth – knowledge we know and we don’t know”.
Government employees rarely publicly blame cabinet secretary even if the number is small in a letter to Congress.
Since Kennedy was confirmed to hold the position, people and groups outside the administration, such as the head of the American Public Health Association, have criticized his staff for reducing and limiting vaccines.
Staff said in the letter that Kennedy spread misinformation several times, including when he called the CDC “a corrupt sewage treatment.”
They also accuse him of sowing distrust when he doubts about the safety and effectiveness of the measles vaccine during the growing outbreak, saying he posed public risks to all members of the Independent Vaccine Advisory Committee, as well as his massive shooting.
They also said: “These dangerous and deceptive remarks and actions contribute to the harassment and violence experienced by CDC staff.”
The letter ends, listing three requirements that Kennedy has resolved by September 2. They hope he “stops disseminating inaccurate health information,” “confirm the scientific integrity of the CDC,” and “keeps the safety of the HHS workforce.”
It is not clear what would happen if the secretary did not respond.
Investigators said Patrick Joseph White, 30, fired 500 rounds in the CDC complex on August 8 and blamed him for his shooting and his suicide.
Officer David Rose – a former Marine – was killed while responding to the scene.
Kennedy approached staff after the shooting and said: “No one should face violence while protecting others’ health.”
Before becoming Health Secretary, Kennedy spread a number of false claims about vaccines, including debunking theories that vaccines are related to autism.
Since taking office, he has continued to make inaccurate statements and attempted to reshape how the government regulates and immunizes the U.S. public.
Health & Wellness Contributor
A wellness enthusiast and certified nutrition advisor, Meera covers everything from healthy living tips to medical breakthroughs. Her articles aim to inform and inspire readers to live better every day.
