RFK Jr.'s Senate Testimony Viewed as Vindication by His Anti-Vaccine Organization
Mary Holland, the leader of Children's Health Defense, an organization founded by Kennedy, shared her insights with POLITICO following his confirmation hearing.
TroibNews 
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. prefers not to discuss his leadership role in the anti-vaccine movement. However, his recent testimony as a candidate for the nation’s top health official has drawn significant interest from the anti-vaccine community.
The CEO of Children’s Health Defense, the anti-vaccine nonprofit founded by Kennedy, commended his performance before the Senate Finance Committee, viewing it as a validating moment for a movement that has largely operated outside mainstream political discourse. “Bobby is challenging the status quo," Mary Holland told PMG. “We’re very happy with the greater attention — and we hope to educate more people that there are issues around a lot of things that people don’t often think about.”
Holland highlighted Kennedy’s pledge of “radical transparency” in the health department as an indication that he would promote renewed examination of vaccines, asserting that additional investigation is necessary to confirm the safety of even standard immunizations. She criticized Democratic senators for fixating on Kennedy’s most controversial past remarks regarding vaccines while firmly asserting that Kennedy’s beliefs have not altered since his departure from Children’s Health Defense last year.
“I’ve worked with Bobby for a long time. He has always said, ‘I am not anti-vaccine, I want there to be real science, I want there to be transparency and I want there to be choice,’” Holland stated.
Regarding Kennedy’s interaction with Sen. Bernie Sanders, who confronted him about Children’s Health Defense selling baby clothes adorned with slogans like “unvaxxed, unafraid” and “no vax, no problem,” Holland humorously noted that the onesies are now "selling like hotcakes." She believes the message communicated through these garments aligns with Kennedy’s approach to HHS: “All that those onesies were saying is that you as parents have a right not to vaccinate your baby.”
“What Bobby wants to achieve is for people to be able to make those individualized health care decisions,” Holland remarked, asserting her belief that all vaccines should be voluntary. “This goes to bodily autonomy.”
Holland’s remarks come during a critical week for Kennedy's aspirations to become President Donald Trump's health secretary as discussions concerning his vaccine stance intensify. Kennedy has consistently denied being anti-vaccine, stating on Wednesday that he endorses the polio and measles vaccines. He also minimized his connections to Children’s Health Defense, assuring Sanders that he is no longer affiliated with the organization and has no intention of limiting vaccine access for Americans. "News reports have claimed that I am anti-vaccine or anti-industry," Kennedy commented. "I am neither; I am pro-safety."
Despite his claims, Kennedy continues to associate with prominent figures in the anti-vaccine sphere while remaining ambiguous about how his proposed policies could influence current vaccine availability and future approvals. The position of HHS secretary comes with the power to implement measures that could complicate vaccination efforts, including adjusting the government’s guidance regarding vaccines that are part of the standard childhood immunization schedule.
Holland, who was present at the confirmation hearing, expressed that she did not anticipate an immediate overhaul of the childhood vaccination schedule under Kennedy’s leadership but hoped for a thorough evaluation of the vaccines, which she believes would reveal them to be unsafe or unnecessary, contradicting the established medical consensus.
“We oppose all medical mandates,” Holland asserted. “It really should be between the parents, the child and their health care practitioners.”
During the discussion, Holland also went beyond Kennedy's public statements, advocating for making fundamental vaccines for measles, mumps, and rubella optional. She claimed, contrary to substantial medical data, that those diseases pose minimal risks to children. “The children that are unvaccinated are healthier,” she said, recalling her own experiences with the diseases as a child. “For a healthy child, it actually helps build the immune system.”
Holland believes that such views have gained traction since the Covid-19 pandemic, as public trust in conventional health authorities has waned. She credited Kennedy for significantly influencing this movement throughout his tenure leading the nonprofit. “People now seem to be more open to hearing what we have to say,” Holland concluded. “And what we have been doing is a reflection of some of the work that Bobby Kennedy’s been doing for many years.”
James del Carmen contributed to this report for TROIB News
The CEO of Children’s Health Defense, the anti-vaccine nonprofit founded by Kennedy, commended his performance before the Senate Finance Committee, viewing it as a validating moment for a movement that has largely operated outside mainstream political discourse. “Bobby is challenging the status quo," Mary Holland told PMG. “We’re very happy with the greater attention — and we hope to educate more people that there are issues around a lot of things that people don’t often think about.”
Holland highlighted Kennedy’s pledge of “radical transparency” in the health department as an indication that he would promote renewed examination of vaccines, asserting that additional investigation is necessary to confirm the safety of even standard immunizations. She criticized Democratic senators for fixating on Kennedy’s most controversial past remarks regarding vaccines while firmly asserting that Kennedy’s beliefs have not altered since his departure from Children’s Health Defense last year.
“I’ve worked with Bobby for a long time. He has always said, ‘I am not anti-vaccine, I want there to be real science, I want there to be transparency and I want there to be choice,’” Holland stated.
Regarding Kennedy’s interaction with Sen. Bernie Sanders, who confronted him about Children’s Health Defense selling baby clothes adorned with slogans like “unvaxxed, unafraid” and “no vax, no problem,” Holland humorously noted that the onesies are now "selling like hotcakes." She believes the message communicated through these garments aligns with Kennedy’s approach to HHS: “All that those onesies were saying is that you as parents have a right not to vaccinate your baby.”
“What Bobby wants to achieve is for people to be able to make those individualized health care decisions,” Holland remarked, asserting her belief that all vaccines should be voluntary. “This goes to bodily autonomy.”
Holland’s remarks come during a critical week for Kennedy's aspirations to become President Donald Trump's health secretary as discussions concerning his vaccine stance intensify. Kennedy has consistently denied being anti-vaccine, stating on Wednesday that he endorses the polio and measles vaccines. He also minimized his connections to Children’s Health Defense, assuring Sanders that he is no longer affiliated with the organization and has no intention of limiting vaccine access for Americans. "News reports have claimed that I am anti-vaccine or anti-industry," Kennedy commented. "I am neither; I am pro-safety."
Despite his claims, Kennedy continues to associate with prominent figures in the anti-vaccine sphere while remaining ambiguous about how his proposed policies could influence current vaccine availability and future approvals. The position of HHS secretary comes with the power to implement measures that could complicate vaccination efforts, including adjusting the government’s guidance regarding vaccines that are part of the standard childhood immunization schedule.
Holland, who was present at the confirmation hearing, expressed that she did not anticipate an immediate overhaul of the childhood vaccination schedule under Kennedy’s leadership but hoped for a thorough evaluation of the vaccines, which she believes would reveal them to be unsafe or unnecessary, contradicting the established medical consensus.
“We oppose all medical mandates,” Holland asserted. “It really should be between the parents, the child and their health care practitioners.”
During the discussion, Holland also went beyond Kennedy's public statements, advocating for making fundamental vaccines for measles, mumps, and rubella optional. She claimed, contrary to substantial medical data, that those diseases pose minimal risks to children. “The children that are unvaccinated are healthier,” she said, recalling her own experiences with the diseases as a child. “For a healthy child, it actually helps build the immune system.”
Holland believes that such views have gained traction since the Covid-19 pandemic, as public trust in conventional health authorities has waned. She credited Kennedy for significantly influencing this movement throughout his tenure leading the nonprofit. “People now seem to be more open to hearing what we have to say,” Holland concluded. “And what we have been doing is a reflection of some of the work that Bobby Kennedy’s been doing for many years.”
James del Carmen contributed to this report for TROIB News
