US Health Workers Urge RFK Jr. to Cease Spreading Misinformation

Hundreds of federal health employees have written to United States Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., urging him to stop spreading inaccurate health information. The letter comes weeks after a gunman opened fire on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, killing one police officer and injuring others. Signatories, including hundreds of current HHS staff, accused Kennedy of undermining public trust by questioning the integrity and morality of CDC employees. During his 2024 failed presidential campaign, Kennedy referred to the agency as a “cesspool of corruption,” which staff say contributed to public distrust in federal health institutions.

The letter highlights that Kennedy’s policies, including cutting thousands of HHS positions, have created “dangerous gaps” in critical public health areas such as infectious disease detection, worker safety, and chronic disease prevention and response. Employees warned that the deliberate erosion of trust in America’s public health workforce endangers lives. They cited Kennedy’s false claims regarding the measles vaccine, which have undermined outbreak responses, and connected his rhetoric to broader risks, including the recent CDC shooting. The shooter had publicly expressed distrust of COVID-19 vaccines and fatally shot Atlanta police officer David Rose before dying from a self-inflicted gunshot wound on August 8.

HHS issued a statement reassuring the public that Secretary Kennedy is committed to standing with CDC employees and prioritizing their safety and wellbeing. However, critics point to Kennedy’s long-standing history of promoting vaccine misinformation. His 2019 visit to Samoa, months before a deadly measles outbreak that killed 81 people, primarily infants and young children, drew international concern. In addition, Kennedy has recently canceled hundreds of millions of dollars in funding for research into mRNA vaccines, a technology credited with preventing millions of COVID-19 deaths and potentially useful in treating diseases such as cancer and HIV, according to the International Vaccine Access Center at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

The letter also underscores concerns raised by public health experts regarding the potential consequences of Kennedy’s statements and actions. William Foege, who served as CDC director from 1977 to 1983 and played a key role in eradicating smallpox, published an article urging public health workers to remain steadfast. Foege warned that Kennedy’s words are dangerously influential and could have lethal effects comparable to deadly viruses. He emphasized the importance of maintaining integrity, values, and evidence-based approaches in public health, stressing that Americans deserve better guidance from their health leadership.

Overall, the correspondence from HHS staff reflects deep frustration and alarm over the intersection of Kennedy’s public statements, policy decisions, and their impact on national public health infrastructure. It demonstrates the perceived link between misinformation, reduced workforce capacity, and real-world consequences, including threats to worker safety and public trust. The situation highlights ongoing debates over accountability, transparency, and ethics in public health leadership, especially in the context of emerging infectious diseases and vaccine-preventable outbreaks. Employees are urging Kennedy to prioritize scientific accuracy, support federal health agencies, and ensure that policies protect both the public and the dedicated workforce tasked with safeguarding national health.