Robert F Kennedy Jr
ON THE RECORD · 13 verbatim quotes · every quote source-verified
“were curious to measure health outcomes following the ‘natural experiment’ created by the national respite from vaccines”
Robert F Kennedy Jr · said date not stated · reported 2026-08-27
In a 2021 blog post, Kennedy said Samoan officials were curious to measure health outcomes following the national respite from vaccines.
“I am writing this letter to you in the hope that we might be helpful to the people of your great nation,”
Robert F Kennedy Jr · said 2019-01-20 · reported 2026-08-27
Kennedy wrote to the Samoan prime minister expressing a desire to help the people of Samoa, in a letter on CHD letterhead dated 20 January 2019.
“I never gave any public statement about vaccines. You cannot find a single Samoan who will say I didn’t get a vaccine because of Bobby Kennedy.”
Robert F Kennedy Jr · said date not stated · reported 2026-08-27
During his Senate confirmation hearings, Kennedy told senators he never gave a public statement about vaccines in Samoa.
“adverse health events associated with vaccines”
Robert F Kennedy Jr · said 2019-01-20 · reported 2026-08-27
Kennedy wrote in his letter that it was difficult to investigate adverse health events associated with vaccines in most of the world.
“nothing to do with vaccines”
Robert F Kennedy Jr · said date not stated · reported 2026-08-27
Kennedy told lawmakers during congressional confirmation hearings that his 2019 visit to Samoa had nothing to do with vaccines.
“I went there, nothing to do with vaccines. I went there to introduce a medical informatics system that would digitalize records in Samoa and make health delivery much more efficient.”
Robert F Kennedy Jr · said date not stated · reported 2026-08-27
Under questioning by Democratic senator Ron Wyden, Kennedy said his trip to Samoa had nothing to do with vaccines and was about introducing a medical informatics system.
“I would propose my team conduct detailed health informatics assessment in Samoa of what happened with your MMR vaccines,”
Robert F Kennedy Jr · said 2019-01-20 · reported 2026-08-27
Kennedy wrote to the Samoan prime minister proposing his team conduct a health informatics assessment of what happened with Samoa's MMR vaccines.
“detailed health informatics assessment”
Robert F Kennedy Jr · said 2019-01-20 · reported 2026-08-27
In his letter to the Samoan prime minister, Kennedy said his team wanted to evaluate vaccine lot issues through a detailed health informatics assessment.
“My purpose in the trip was not to – I ended up having conversations with people, some of whom I never intended to meet.”
Robert F Kennedy Jr · said date not stated · reported 2026-08-27
Upon further questioning during his confirmation hearings, Kennedy again denied the trip was about vaccines and said he ended up having conversations with people he never intended to meet.
“My purpose in going down there had nothing to do with vaccines.”
Robert F Kennedy Jr · said date not stated · reported 2026-08-27
When Democratic senator Edward Markey asked about the Samoa trip, Kennedy denied it had anything to do with vaccines.
“between diagnoses and specific vaccination events”
Robert F Kennedy Jr · said 2019-01-20 · reported 2026-08-27
Kennedy wrote in his letter that health information systems are rarely designed to quickly study links between diagnoses and specific vaccination events.
“the introduction of a medical informatics system”
Robert F Kennedy Jr · said date not stated · reported 2026-08-27
In a 2021 blog post on the CHD website, Kennedy explained he went to Samoa to discuss the introduction of a medical informatics system to track drug safety.
“The claim ‘vaccines do not cause autism’ is not an evidence-based claim because studies have not ruled out the possibility that infant vaccines cause autism.”
Robert F Kennedy Jr · said date not stated · reported 2026-08-22
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. amended the CDC website with an assertion linking vaccines to autism.