Calls for RFK Jr. Resignation Mount After Measles Deaths

The two victims were unvaccinated residents of Lancaster County, a region where Kennedy previously campaigned against vaccine mandates. Since the start of 2026, Pennsylvania has recorded nearly 400 cases of the illness. Dr. Debra Bogen, the state’s Secretary of Health, emphasized that the public’s lack of familiarity with the disease—which was considered eliminated for over three decades—has hindered containment efforts. Nationally, the number of documented cases in July alone surpassed the total count for all of 2025.

Political pressure on Kennedy is intensifying as public health experts and lawmakers demand accountability. Shaughnessy Naughton, president of 314 Action, argued that the current outbreak is a direct result of anti-science policies, calling for Kennedy to step down. Senator Angela Alsobrooks joined the call for his resignation, citing the impact of his rhetoric on public health in Maryland. Epidemiologist Tara C. Smith noted a grim milestone: the U.S. has recorded more measles deaths during Kennedy’s two-year tenure as HHS Secretary than in the previous 24 years combined. Critics point to a 2021 speech in Lancaster County, where Kennedy dismissed the severity of measles and suggested vitamin A and chicken soup as alternatives to vaccination, as evidence of his dangerous influence on public health policy.