RFK Jr. Tells Vaccine Skeptics They Have 'Friend' in Trump White House

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told a vaccine-skeptic group on Thursday that they have "a friend in the White House" in President Donald Trump. Kennedy delivered the keynote address at a conference in Washington, D.C., hosted by Children's Health Defense, a group he co-founded and from which he resigned from the board before his confirmation as HHS Secretary.

Children's Health Defense advocates against the recommended vaccine schedule for children. The group described the conference as a "timely conversation [that] will take place against a backdrop of unprecedented opportunity and risk for the health freedom movement." Also scheduled to appear were Republican Sens. Ron Johnson and Rand Paul, and Republican Reps. Paul Gosar and Thomas Massie.

Kennedy stated that Trump had given directives to strengthen research, transparency, and parental choice around childhood vaccines. "Let me be clear. You have a strong and steadfast friend at the White House," Kennedy told the attendees.

He also commented on the pace of change within government, saying he wanted to make more sweeping changes on "day one" but was prevented by "procedures" and the risk of lawsuits. "In government, a bunch of things have to happen before something else happens or you get sued," Kennedy explained. "It's a very laborious system and there's a lot of inertia built in that... if we were able to overcome it we would have changed things on day one, but those would have been short-lived and I would have been out of a job because I have to manage my agency competently according to the law and according to procedures."

Kennedy claimed that children went from receiving three vaccines when he was a child to 94 doses of 18 vaccines currently. Doctors have previously told ABC News that, excluding annual flu and COVID-19 shots, children generally receive about 30 vaccine doses, many in combined injections, before age 18.

Kennedy questioned whether the potential association between some chronic illnesses and vaccines should be investigated. "The question is... should we be looking at the potential that some of these chronic illnesses are associated with vaccines?" he asked. He later added that "many of these adverse events [from vaccines] include diseases, chronic illnesses that are part of the chronic disease epidemic... illnesses that became suddenly epidemic in our kids after 1989."

The year 1989 also marked the year the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), along with the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Family Physicians, recommended children receive a second measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) dose. Extensive scientific research has consistently shown no causal link between the MMR vaccine and the development of chronic diseases.

During his confirmation hearings, Kennedy stated he supported vaccines but believed the choice should be left to parents. Last year, he removed all 17 members of the ACIP and appointed his own selections. The committee subsequently voted to remove the universal recommendation for the hepatitis B shot at birth and to narrow existing recommendations for the combined MMRV shot. The group also voted against recommending flu vaccines containing the preservative thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative, though the FDA and CDC state there is no evidence that low doses of thimerosal in vaccines cause harm beyond minor injection site reactions.

Earlier this year, Kennedy reduced the number of recommended childhood vaccine shots from 17 to 11. In March, a federal judge temporarily blocked these changes and suspended the appointments of the 13 members of the CDC's vaccine advisory committee nominated by Kennedy, staying all votes taken by those members. Kennedy declined to comment on the ruling, citing ongoing litigation.

Dr. Fiona Havers, an infectious diseases physician and former vaccine expert at the CDC, stated that Children's Health Defense has disseminated false and misleading information, contributing to declining vaccination rates. "Americans are now tragically experiencing the direct consequences of this, with more than 3,000 measles cases this year and four measles-related deaths reported in just the last few weeks," Havers said. "By speaking at CHD's conference, RFK Jr. is using his position as the U.S. government's top public health official in a way that legitimizes CHD's anti-vaccine message and undercuts efforts by CDC, state health agencies, clinicians and others to get these outbreaks under control."

The HHS had not immediately responded to ABC News' request for comment.