Louisiana Republican Senator Bill Cassidy was criticized for voting to confirm Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) after he spoke out against President Donald Trump's executive order recommending that the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine be broken up into separate shots.
The new policy would recommend giving the MMR vaccine as three individual injections rather than as a combined shot, while also spacing childhood vaccinations across separate doctor visits.
It establishes a new vaccination framework in which routine immunization against 11 diseases would remain recommended for all children, while other vaccines would be classified as either higher-risk or requiring an individual decision between patients and healthcare providers.
Trump repeatedly raised the possibility of a connection between childhood vaccination and autism during remarks at the Oval Office on Monday, pointing specifically to the number or timing of vaccines.
However, decades of scientific research have found no evidence that vaccines cause autism. A recent study examining 2.5 million U.S. children likewise found no association between receiving the MMR vaccine before age 2 and subsequently being diagnosed with autism.
Following the news, Cassidy, a graduate of Louisiana State University (LSU) and LSU School of Medicine, called the executive order "wrong" in a post on X:
"I’m a doctor. This executive order is wrong. The President does not have the expertise to make these changes."
"Vaccines are overwhelmingly safe. Vaccines are effective. Vaccines DO NOT cause autism. Breaking up vaccines will mean children have to get more shots to get the same protection, not fewer shots."
"It will increase hesitancy and make children less safe. Parents should listen to their child’s pediatrician about vaccines rather than listening to an inaccurate executive order. This is so wrong."
You can see his post below.
However, soon after, Headquarters shared footage of him confirming Kennedy, a known vaccine skeptic, to HHS.
Kennedy, who lacks medical or scientific training, has argued that drug companies and regulatory agencies harm Americans’ health. He has even proposed that certain vaccines should be removed from the market and is well-known for sharing conspiracy theories about vaccines, particularly those for measles and COVID-19.
For instance, as a prominent anti-vaccine activist, Kennedy has spent years lobbying lawmakers globally, including in Samoa during a deadly 2019 measles outbreak that claimed the lives of dozens of children. While Kennedy’s representatives have denied that he is anti-vaccine, Kennedy has also denied involvement in the Samoa measles crisis.
All of these facts have long been on the table, and people were quick to call out Cassidy's hypocrisy.
Earlier this year, during Kennedy's testimony before the Senate Finance Committee, Cassidy warned that declining trust in vaccines has contributed to a rise in preventable diseases, raising concerns about potential outbreaks during major upcoming events. He said that seeing “outbreaks numbering in the thousands” and children dying from preventable illnesses was “more than tragic.”
Drawing on his background as a liver doctor, Cassidy emphasized the importance of early vaccination, noting that giving newborns the hepatitis B shot could have prevented cases he treated.
Despite those views, he ultimately backed Kennedy's appointment to HHS after securing assurances that the known vaccine skeptic would uphold existing vaccine approval systems and support the childhood immunization schedule.
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