Health Groups Urge US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to Resign Over Vaccine Policies

More than 20 leading health organizations on Wednesday called for U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to resign, accusing him of undermining decades of medical progress and endangering public health.

The joint statement followed mounting criticism from former CDC directors under both Republican and Democratic administrations, who warned that Kennedy’s decisions — including last week’s firing of CDC Director Susan Monarez — were putting Americans at risk.

“Our country needs leadership that promotes open, honest dialogue, not disregard for lifesaving science,” the statement read. “We are gravely concerned that Americans will needlessly suffer and die as a result of policies that abandon sound interventions.”

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Kennedy has withdrawn federal recommendations for COVID-19 vaccines for pregnant women and children, disbanded the CDC’s vaccine advisory panel, and appointed advisers aligned with his anti-vaccine views. He defended his approach Wednesday, saying his mission was to “restore the CDC’s focus on infectious disease” and “rebuild trust through transparency and competence.”

His moves have triggered resignations inside the department, while more than 1,000 current and former HHS employees have also signed an open letter urging President Trump to remove him if he refuses to step down.