RFK Jr. feuds with Shapiro, spreads vaccine misinformation

Kennedy feuds with Shapiro over vaccines

An online row between Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) erupted on Wednesday after Pennsylvania authorities said two unvaccinated people died from measles-associated causes.

Measles was not listed as the direct causes of death in either case, but during a press conference Tuesday, Shapiro blamed both Kennedy and the Trump administration for worsening the spread of the disease.

Shapiro said he spoke with Kennedy by phone Tuesday, and the call was heated.

“I was very, very blunt with him, and I made very clear his actions and his rhetoric coming from this administration are having a negative impact on communities across America , particularly right here in Pennsylvania,” Shapiro said. On Tuesday night, Kennedy took to social media to dispute his role in spreading misinformation. From his personal account on X, Kennedy accused Shapiro of “gaslighting” the public. He downplayed the severity of measles and blamed the Biden administration for the drop in pediatric vaccine coverage. He also posted a link to a website called TheHighWire, operated by anti-vaccine activist and Kennedy ally Del Bigtree. On Wednesday, Shapiro posted that during his call with Kennedy, the secretary launched into a “tirade” about fetal tissue in vaccines. Kennedy often talks about the presence of “fetal tissue” in vaccines when discussing reasons why people may not want to get immunized. Medical groups like the American Academy of Pediatrics, however, have emphasized that while some vaccines— including the rubella shot in the MMR vaccine— were developed using fetal cells in the 1960s, the modern-day product is descended from those cells and does not contain any fetal tissue. “I told him what would be most helpful is if he would join me in encouraging people to get vaccinated and stop spreading misinformation. He then launched into a tirade — talking about fetal tissue and blaming the previous Administration for this problem. He even told me it would be better if we went back to ‘natural measles,’” Shapiro wrote on X. “But my conversation with him proved what many of us already knew,” he added. “Secretary Kennedy’s actions to dismantle public health agencies and his language that undermines confidence in vetted medical guidance are contributing to these kinds of outbreaks.” On Wednesday, Kennedy urged people to get vaccinated against measles. “Our advice is people should get the measles vaccination, ” Kennedy said when asked about the Pennsylvania deaths during an event about children’s health in Tampa, Florida. He also said that the CDC is looking into the circumstances surrounding the deaths.

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