Sanders Releases Internal HHS Emails Demonstrating Secretary Kennedy’s Politicization of CDC, Interference with Vaccines

Editor’s note: Staten Islanders may remember our coverage of Senator Sanders’ views on healthcare as a human right that should be accessible to all regardless of zip code, income level, or educational background.  This is how healthcare is handled in other developed western countries, particularly in England, Australia, Canada, and other parts of the British commonwealth along with most places in Europe.  According to US News and World Report rankings, the American Healthcare system, profit motivated as it presently is, lies near the bottom of the list of countries ranked by quality of healthcare.  Whereas Iceland, Norway, and Denmark top the list, other countries such as England and France also have a better-ranked system where more people get the care they need as it’s usually provided free of charge. In the US, people are often forced to forego procedures and doctors visits due to their inability to afford health insurance or pay out of pocket. The US system is profit motivated, whereas in Europe and elsewhere, the government pays.  In Britain until 1948, healthcare was also profit motivated, with many bankruptcies resulting from an unexpected or costly diagnosis, such as cancer is in today’s America. In New York, the issues are somewhat fewer since there are free and low cost clinics and insurance available to residents, but in lower income states such as Alabama and Louisiana, who coincidentally rank very high for maternal and infant mortality, as well as abortion restrictions, they also have poor healthcare coverage and delivery for low income individuals.  In such states, residents can’t afford basic necessities, which often include their own medical care. 

WASHINGTON – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), today released internal emails from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) showing Secretary Robert F Kennedy, Jr.’s politicization of HHS, willingness to ignore vaccine science and undermine the basic health and safety of Americans.

The emails, provided to the committee by former CDC Chief Medical Officer Dr. Debra Houry, include the following revelations:

• Secretary Kennedy altered vaccine recommendations and released material to the public without CDC expert review or input.
• Secretary Kennedy specifically directed the agenda of the CDC’s vaccine advisory panel, known as ACIP, towards restricting access to vaccines.
• Secretary Kennedy directed the cancellation of flu vaccine campaigns amid a severe flu season. Andrew Nixon, HHS Director of Communications, confirmed in an email that “This was a direct ask from Secretary Kennedy.”
• Secretary Kennedy handpicked researchers to access confidential data to demonstrate the long-disproven claim that vaccines cause autism.
• Secretary Kennedy misled members of Congress on several occasions, including in interactions with Senator Hassan on COVID vaccine recommendations, Senator Wyden on vaccine access and HELP Committee Chair Cassidy on the CDC Director’s ability to act independently.
• Secretary Kennedy’s chief of staff told then-CDC Director Susan Monarez that political staff at CDC and HHS would need to review “major decisions at CDC…before they go into effect.” Less than a week later, Secretary Kennedy fired Director Monarez for failing to rubber stamp recommendations from ACIP.
• Secretary Kennedy’s senior advisor sought advice on how to remove vaccines from the Vaccines for Children program, which provides vaccines at no cost to eligible children. In an email, he asked, “What legally needs to happen or should be considered if a vaccine is going to be removed from the [Vaccines for Children] program at CDC?” The Vaccines for Children program is estimated to have prevented about 508 million illnesses in children born during 1994 through 2023.

On August 27, 2025, Secretary Kennedy fired CDC Director Susan Monarez for failing to pre-approve ACIP’s recommendations “regardless of the scientific evidence.” Two months prior, Secretary Kennedy fired every member of ACIP. He then placed members on ACIP with a history of undermining vaccines who immediately announced their intention to revisit the childhood vaccine schedule. Following the firing of Monarez, Dr. Houry, along with several other CDC leaders resigned.

On September 17, 2025, Dr. Monarez and Dr. Houry testified before the HELP Committee about these events. Following the hearing, Ranking Member Sanders sent a private letter requesting documents related to Secretary Kennedy’s politicization of the CDC. HELP Committee Minority staff were provided with emails from January 2025 to August 2025.

Read the emails here and a memo summarizing them here.

 

Banner Image: Vaccine. Image Credit – Mufid Majnun