Deadline- In an August 2, 2026, CNN interview, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. made several claims about COVID-19, vaccines, and measles.
- The interview came amid the current 35-year high in U.S. measles cases; with cases rising between 2024 and 2025 and more than 2,300 already this year, Bash asked Kennedy if he would accept “some responsibility,” and he replied, “Absolutely not.”
- Bash pressed the secretary on whether childhood vaccines cause autism, citing more than 40 studies involving 5.6 million people that find no link between vaccines and autism.
- Kennedy claimed the U.S. has the highest death rate from COVID-19, but the U.S. does not rank in the top 10; its case fatality rate was 1.1% compared with Peru’s 4.9%.
- A doctor fact-checked Kennedy's CNN interview, citing CDC vaccine data and disputing his Covid death-rate claim.
- The article notes that measles were considered virtually eliminated in the U.S. after the year 2000.
- Pandemic disruptions did interrupt childhood immunizations—about 23 million missed vaccine doses according to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)—but measles outbreaks occur when vaccination rates fall below the 95% herd immunity threshold; hesitancy, misinformation, and declining measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccination rates contributed, with less than 1% of cases imported.
During a contentious interview on CNN's *State of the Union*, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faced off against Dana Bash over his controversial views on COVID-19 and vaccines.1
Kennedy claimed, "We have the highest death rate from COVID", despite the U.S. not ranking in the top 10 for COVID-19 death rates globally.789
Bash countered with data from the CDC, highlighting that the U.S. case fatality rate was only 1.1%, compared to Peru's 4.9%.
The discussion shifted to childhood vaccines, particularly the MMR vaccine, with Bash citing over 40 studies involving 5.6 million people that found no link between vaccines and autism. Kennedy, however, insisted on further studies for other vaccines.
As measles cases surged to nearly 2,400 this year, the highest in over three decades, Bash pressed Kennedy on whether he bore any responsibility for the outbreak, which he vehemently denied, attributing it to international factors.
Kennedy's long history of questioning vaccine efficacy has contributed to rising vaccine hesitancy, with UNICEF reporting 23 million missed vaccine doses globally due to pandemic disruptions.121314
As the HHS Secretary, Kennedy's statements carry significant weight, influencing public perception and health policy.
“Kennedy pointed out that many autism studies focused on the MMR vaccine, while urging parents to get children the MMR shot. Bash cited more than 40 studies involving 5.6 million people; Kennedy denied responsibility for the outbreak, saying “Absolutely not.””
Forbes
