Key facts
- Emails indicate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s 2019 trip to Samoa was described as a mission to study medical records following a "discontinuity in vaccinations."
- Kennedy previously testified to the US Senate that his visit to Samoa was unrelated to vaccines and focused on introducing a medical informatics system.
- Kennedy's colleague, Dr. Michael Graven, described the trip as a mission to evaluate health informatics from medical records.
- A significant measles outbreak occurred in Samoa a few months after Kennedy's visit, resulting in numerous deaths.
- Critics argue the new evidence further contradicts Kennedy's statements and raises concerns about his credibility.
New evidence has emerged suggesting Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s 2019 trip to Samoa was part of a vaccine-related "mission," contradicting his previous testimony before the US Senate. Emails obtained by The Guardian show that Dr. Michael Graven, a colleague of Kennedy's and chief information officer at Children's Health Defense, informed Samoan officials that he and Kennedy were coming to study medical records in the aftermath of a "discontinuity in vaccinations."
Kennedy, who chaired the anti-vaccine group Children's Health Defense at the time, has frequently stated his trip to the Pacific island nation was not about vaccines but to attend a celebration and introduce a medical informatics system. However, Graven's emails, sent after discussions with Kennedy, described the trip multiple times as a "mission" involving "health informatics evaluation from medical record data from all hospitals and clinics in Samoa to evaluate outcomes associated with the recent discontinuity in vaccinations."
This new information adds to previous reports that undermined Kennedy's claims about the purpose of his visit. A measles outbreak occurred in Samoa a few months after Kennedy's trip, sickening thousands and killing 83 people, mostly children. Critics, including Senator Ron Wyden, have stated the findings offer further proof that Kennedy has misled the public and Congress regarding vaccines. Despite evidence supporting vaccine safety, Kennedy has advocated for studies comparing vaccinated and unvaccinated children's health, a concept that Samoa's vaccination pause would have facilitated.