Hundreds of radiologists urge Senate to reject RFK Jr. as next HHS secretary

Over 350 radiologists have signed a letter urging the U.S. Senate to reject anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Junior’s appointment as the next leader of Health and Human Services. 

President-elect Donald J. Trump first announced his HHS selection in November, with Kennedy slated to serve as the commander in chief’s principal advisor on all health matters. However, the Committee to Protect Health Care, a national advocacy organization, is now pushing lawmakers to derail his confirmation. 

The group had garnered signatures from more than 19,000 physicians as of Sunday, including hundreds of radiologists. They labeled RFK’s appointment as an “affront to the principles of public health,” noting the environmental lawyer’s “decades of spreading dangerous disinformation” and “promoting conspiracy theories.” 

“As physicians who care deeply about the health and safety of our patients and communities, we are appalled by Donald Trump's reckless decision to appoint Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as secretary of Health and Human Services,” the letter states. “The health and well-being of 336 million Americans depend on leadership at HHS that prioritizes science, evidence-based medicine, and strengthening the integrity of our public health system. RFK Jr. is not only unqualified to lead this essential agency—he is actively dangerous.”

The letter writers cited a 2019 RFK trip to Samoa as proof of their concerns. Kennedy at the time amplified doubts about the safety of measles vaccines. After his visit, physicians wrote, vaccination rates fell from 60% to 31%, “sparking a measles outbreak that killed 83 people—most of them under the age of 5.” 

“RFK Jr.'s actions directly contributed to this tragedy and exemplify the tangible dangers of disinformation promoted by an influential public figure,” the letter states. 

Radiologists and other physicians also cited other past incidents while noting RFK’s “lack of any credible experience in healthcare or medicine.” 

“As physicians, we are outraged by this appointment and we call on the Senate to act immediately,” the letter concludes. “Reject Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s nomination and demand qualified leadership at HHS that prioritizes science, the protection of public health, and the well-being of all Americans. The health and security of our nation depend on it. Anything less is an abdication of responsibility to the American people.”

The Committee to Protect Health Care also is giving physicians the option to email their professional/specialty organization and urge them to join the campaign. A drop-down menu includes some (but not all) societies in this space, such as the American College of Radiology, RSNA and the American College of Radiation Oncology. The latter two did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday, while an ACR spokesman said the college did not have a response. 

Republicans have secured a majority in the Senate, and Kennedy’s nomination can move forward as long as no more than three members of the GOP oppose his appointment. RFK is reportedly courting Democrats for support ahead of the hearing, Politico noted. No Republicans have said they’ll reject Kennedy, though some such as Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., have expressed concern about his anti-vax views. 

President-elect Trump has defended his choice amid these criticisms. 

“I think he’s going to be much less radical than you would think,” he said in December. “I think he’s got a very open mind, or I wouldn’t have put him there.”