Caroline Kennedy, the U.S. Ambassador to Australia and daughter of former President John F. Kennedy, has sharply criticized her cousin Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s controversial views on vaccines, calling them "dangerous" and contrary to the stance of the Kennedy family and most Americans.
"Our family is united in terms of our support for the public health sector and infrastructure and [has] greatest admiration for the medical profession in our country, and Bobby Kennedy has got a different set of views," Kennedy said at the National Press Club in Canberra, Australia. "I grew up with him, so I've known all this for a long time. Others are just getting to know him."
RFK Jr., recently nominated by President-elect Donald Trump to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, has drawn criticism for his past statements suggesting links between vaccines and autism—a claim widely debunked by the scientific community. Kennedy, who previously ran for president as an independent, disputes being "anti-vaccine," stating instead that he advocates for more rigorous vaccine safety testing.
"If vaccines are working for somebody, I'm not going to take them away. People ought to have choice, and that choice ought to be informed by the best information," Kennedy Jr. told NBC earlier in the month. "I'm going to make sure scientific safety studies and efficacy are out there, and people can make individual assessments about whether that product is going to be good for them."
While Senate Republicans have largely given RFK Jr.'s nomination a positive reception, his history of controversial health claims have come under scrutiny in anticipation of the Senate confirmation process.
In her remarks, Caroline Kennedy underscored her broader commitment to public health and international relations, emphasizing the enduring importance of the U.S.-Australia alliance. She also expressed optimism about seeing a female U.S. president in her lifetime, though she declined to speculate on whether she would seek the office herself.
Originally published by Latin Times.
