Health workers revolt: Over 1,000 demand RFK Jr.’s exit over Anti-Vax stance

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

More than 1,000 current and former employees of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have issued a scathing open letter calling for the resignation of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., accusing him of endangering public health through his anti-vaccine policies and leadership decisions at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The letter, signed by 1,040 health workers and published on the Save HHS website, cites Kennedy’s dismissal of CDC Director Susan Monarez and the replacement of the agency’s 17-member vaccine advisory panel with individuals who question vaccine safety as major points of contention.

The health workers argue that these actions, combined with Kennedy’s history of promoting debunked vaccine claims, such as a link between vaccines and autism, have compromised the nation’s health infrastructure.

“Our oath requires us to speak out when the Constitution is violated and the American people are put at risk,” the letter states, urging President Donald Trump and Congress to replace Kennedy with a leader committed to evidence-based science.

The controversy intensified after Kennedy fired Monarez in August, less than a month after her confirmation, reportedly for refusing to implement policies restricting vaccine access and to dismiss key CDC staff without cause.

Her ousting prompted the resignation of four senior CDC officials, including Chief Medical Officer Deb Houry, Dan Jernigan, and Demetre Daskalakis, who cited a rise in health misinformation and attacks on scientific integrity in their resignation letters.

Hundreds of CDC employees staged a walkout in Atlanta to protest the turmoil, with signs reading “Save CDC” and “RFK’s War on Kids.”

Kennedy’s policies have also drawn bipartisan criticism. Senator Bernie Sanders called the firing of Monarez “outrageous,” while Republican Senator Bill Cassidy, a physician who initially supported Kennedy’s confirmation, expressed concerns about the CDC’s leadership vacuum and urged a delay in upcoming vaccine advisory meetings.

The letter from HHS staff follows an earlier appeal by over 750 employees in August, prompted by a deadly shooting at CDC headquarters in Atlanta, which they linked to growing mistrust fueled by Kennedy’s rhetoric.

HHS Communications Director Andrew Nixon defended Kennedy, stating, “Secretary Kennedy has been clear: the CDC has been broken for a long time. Restoring it as the world’s most trusted guardian of public health will take sustained reform.”

Nixon highlighted Kennedy’s commitment to evidence-based science and his efforts to address chronic disease, but the letter’s signatories, including six medical partner organizations, dismissed these claims, accusing Kennedy of appointing “political ideologues who pose as scientific experts.”

As the CDC grapples with a leadership crisis and reduced funding, health experts warn that restricted vaccine access, particularly for COVID-19 shots, could exacerbate ongoing public health challenges, including a new wave of infections.