RFK Jr. Allegedly Ordered Removal of Measles Deaths from CDC Data
Reports allege that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. directed the CDC to remove two measles deaths from public data, despite agency staff having reviewed and accepted the measles-related nature of the fatalities.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the anti-vaccine advocate and Health Secretary, allegedly ordered the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to delete two measles deaths from the agency's publicly accessible data, according to separate reports.
Sources cited by Reuters indicated that Kennedy instructed CDC director Erica Schwartz to remove the fatalities. Despite CDC staff having reportedly reviewed and confirmed the measles-related status of these deaths, Schwartz proceeded with the deletion without apparent objection, insiders told Reuters.
The two deaths, involving a newborn and a child, were initially reported by health officials in Pennsylvania. The state is currently experiencing a significant measles outbreak, with 540 cases reported so far, including 119 in the past week alone.
The data for these deaths was reportedly added to the CDC's website and then removed within hours on August 30, prior to the alleged directive from Kennedy.