Congressional lawmakers have repeatedly pinned the blame on Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for recent measles outbreaks, but he told lawmakers Wednesday that the problem started long ago.
“It started before I came to office,” he told the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.
Of children affected by the disease, 80% are over five years old, he said, meaning their decision not to vaccinate predated his appointment last year.
The U.S. recorded 2,288 measles cases last year — the most since the disease was declared eliminated in the country 25 years ago. Just four months into 2026, the U.S. has recorded 1,748 measles cases.
“I had nothing to do with the measles outbreak here,” he said. “We have limited our outbreak better than any country in the world.”
Lawmakers critical of his opinions about vaccines did not buy it. They accuse Mr. Kennedy of inadvertently increasing cases by encouraging vaccine skepticism and rolling back the federal childhood vaccine schedule.
Sen. Bill Cassidy, the Louisiana Republican who chairs the committee, said the anti-vaxx movement has only grown stronger since Mr. Kennedy arrived at HHS.
“You have talked about restoring trust in the agency around the issue of immunization, and people lost trust during the pandemic, but I think it’s safe to say the trust gap has worsened over the last year due to false statements about safety and efficacy of vaccines for preventable diseases like measles,” he said.
Still, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is under Mr. Kennedy’s purview as secretary, currently recommends that children receive two doses of the measles vaccine, known as MMR.
When asked at a hearing earlier in the week whether he was “taking the position that the measles vaccine is vital to keeping American children healthy in this country,” Mr. Kennedy said, “We advise every child to get the MMR.”
Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester, Delaware Democrat, asked him on Wednesday whether he has advised President Trump to “sound the alarm and encourage Americans to obtain the measles vaccine.”
“It’s my job, not the president’s job, and I do my job,” Mr. Kennedy replied.
“Do you take any responsibility in your role for the situation that we are in with this measles epidemic?” She asked.
“As I said, the measles epidemic began before I came into office,” Mr. Kennedy said.
