US Ambassador to Australia Caroline Kennedy has publicly denounced her cousin, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s, views on vaccinations, calling them “dangerous,”Bloomberg reports.
This is the latest in a series of rebukes from prominent members of the Kennedy family following President-elect Trump’s controversial nomination of RFK Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.
Speaking at the National Press Club in Canberra on Monday, Ambassador Kennedy directly addressed the anti-vaccine stance of her cousin, the son of the late Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy.
“Bobby Kennedy’s views on vaccines are dangerous… But I don’t think that most Americans share them so we’ll just have to wait and see what happens,” she said.
President-elect Trump’s nomination of RFK Jr. last week ignited widespread concern among health officials and advocates. Trump himself had previously hinted at Kennedy’s potentially disruptive approach to health policy, suggesting he would “go wild” in the role.
RFK Jr. is known for his unorthodox views on public health, often contradicting established medical consensus. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he infamously labeled COVID-19 vaccines a “crime against humanity,” drawing comparisons to the Nazi Holocaust.
Ambassador Kennedy contrasted her cousin’s stance with the legacy of her uncle, the late Senator Ted Kennedy, who she said dedicated 50 years to fighting for affordable healthcare. “It’s something that our whole family is so proud of,” she emphasized. She further clarified the family’s unified support for public health and the medical profession, highlighting the stark difference between RFK Jr.’s views and those held by the rest of the family.
Ambassador Kennedy, appointed by President Biden in 2021, previously served as US Ambassador to Japan under the Obama administration.
