Warren Grills RFK Jr. for Ripping Away Access to COVID-19 Vaccine, Firing CDC Director to Ram Through Dangerous Changes to Vaccines

Warren Grills RFK Jr. for Ripping Away Access to COVID-19 Vaccine, Firing CDC Director to Ram Through Dangerous Changes to Vaccines

RFK Jr. promised not to take away vaccines, but last week announced that the Covid-19 vaccine is no longer approved for healthy people under the age of 65

Warren: "You should resign."

Video of Exchange (YouTube)

Washington, D.C. - At a hearing of the Senate Finance Committee, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) questioned Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., on his moves to limit the availability of the COVID-19 vaccine, despite promising that he would not take away vaccines from anyone who wanted one. She also asked Secretary Kennedy about his decision to fire the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention after she reportedly refused to sign off on his changes to the childhood vaccine schedule.

"This is the same person that less than a month earlier you stood next to her, and described her as 'unimpeachable,' and you had 'full confidence' in her and that you had 'full confidence' in her scientific credentials," Senator Warren pointed out.

In November, as he was being considered for the role of Secretary of HHS, Secretary Kennedy promised, "If vaccines are working for somebody, I'm not going to take them away." Still, last week, Secretary Kennedy announced the COVID-19 vaccine is no longer approved for healthy people under 65, stripping access from many Americans.

Secretary Kennedy attempted to deny that the FDA's changes take away access to the vaccine. Senator Warren pointed out that the changes create significant barriers to getting the vaccine, effectively taking it away.

"It takes it away if you can't get it from your pharmacy. It takes it away if you have to pay $200," said Senator Warren.

Senator Warren pressed Secretary Kennedy on whether his broken promise on the COVID-19 vaccine meant he would do the same for other critical vaccines, including hepatitis B, measles, mumps, rubella, and chickenpox. Secretary Kennedy refused to give a clear answer.

"You are putting American babies' health at risk, American seniors' health at risk, all Americans' health at risk and you should resign," concluded the senator.

Transcript: Hearing on the President's 2026 Health Care Agenda
Senate Finance Committee
September 4, 2025

Senator Elizabeth Warren: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. So, last November, while you were under consideration to become Secretary of Health and Human Services, Mr. Kennedy, you said, "If vaccines are working for somebody, I'm not going to take them away." No exceptions. No ifs, ands, or buts. You would not take away vaccines from anyone who wanted them.

Then last week, you announced that the COVID-19 vaccine is no longer approved for healthy people under the age 65. In announcing the change, you said the vaccine will be available for anyone who wants it. Now, obviously, both things can't be true at the same moment.

So, let's clear this up right now, Secretary Kennedy. Will you tell America that all adults and all children over six months of age are eligible to get a COVID booster at their local pharmacy today?

Mr. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.: Secretary of Health and Human Services: Anybody can get the booster.

Senator Warren: I'm sorry?

Secretary Kennedy: Anybody can get it, Senator.

Senator Warren: Anybody? So you are saying that is the official rule of HHS: anybody is eligible to get a booster by just walking into the pharmacy?

Secretary Kennedy: It's not recommended for healthy people.

Senator Warren: No, no. If you don't recommend, then the consequence of that in many states is that you can't walk into a pharmacy and get one. It means insurance companies don't have to cover the $200 or so cost. As Senator Dr. Cassidy said, you are effectively denying people vaccines.

Secretary Kennedy: We're not going to recommend a product for which there is no clinical data for that indication. Is that what I should be doing?

Senator Warren: What you should be doing is honoring your promise that you made when you were looking to get confirmed in this job and that is: you promised that you would not take away vaccines from anyone who wanted them. You just changed the classification of the COVID vaccine and the consequence -

Secretary Kennedy: I'm not taking them away from people, Senator.

Senator Warren: It takes it away if you can't get it from your pharmacy. It takes it away if you have to pay $200.

Secretary Kennedy: Most Americans will be able to get it from their pharmacy for free.

Senator Warren: No, the question is everyone who wants it. That was your promise, Mr. Kennedy, not mine.

Secretary Kennedy: I know I did - I never promised that I was going to recommend products for which there is no indication. And I know you've taken $855,000 from pharmaceutical companies, Senator.

Senator Warren: You didn't promise? Oh, I'm sorry. When you said "if vaccines are working for someone, I'm not going to take them away," did you hold up a big sign saying that you were lying when you said that? Because you are the one who said you would not take them away.

Now, Secretary Kennedy, you are.

Secretary Kennedy: I'm not taking them away from anybody. You want me to indicate a product for which there is no clinical data? Is that what you want?

Senator Warren: Secretary Kennedy, you said you wouldn't, and now you did. So obviously -

Secretary Kennedy: I'm not taking them away. Everybody can get access to them.

Senator Warren: No, they can't walk into a pharmacy the way that they could last month and get access to a COVID vaccine.

Secretary Kennedy: It depends on the state, but they can still get it. Everybody can get it. Everybody can get it, Senator.

Senator Warren: Oh, it depends? A year ago, it did not depend. A month ago, it did not depend.

So look, let's move on. You clearly are taking away vaccines. I have seen the list for what's coming up next and that is the agenda for the next CDC vaccine panel. And first up is ratifying your COVID actions. Second is Hepatitis B is on the agenda.

Should Americans expect you to take away Hepatitis vaccine access as well, even though you promised not to?

Secretary Kennedy: As I said, I am not taking vaccines away from anybody.

Senator Warren: Okay, same answer, right? You're just going to deny when people cannot get access, that you are not taking it away.

Then let me ask you, is that the same game you're going to play with measles, mumps, rubella, chicken pox?

Secretary Kennedy: So you want me to recommend every product in the world without any clinical trial data?

Senator Warren: No, I want you to follow through on your promises.

Secretary Kennedy: Yeah, my promise was to give -

Senator Warren: One month ago we could get COVID vaccines by just walking into a pharmacy. You are taking that away.

Secretary Kennedy: You can still get COVID vaccines, Senator. No, you can still get the COVID vaccine and Medicare will still pay for them and Medicaid will still pay for them.

Senator Warren: So, let me ask you one more question, Secretary Kennedy.

Did you tell the head of the CDC that if she refused to sign off on your changes to the childhood vaccine schedule, that she had to resign?

Secretary Kennedy: No, I told her she had to resign because I asked her, 'Are you a trustworthy person?' and she said, 'no.'

Senator Warren: What?

Secretary Kennedy: If you had an employee who told you they weren't trustworthy, would you ask them to resign, Senator?

Senator Warren: So, I'm sorry, but this is not what she has said publicly. She has said she was told to preapprove -

Secretary Kennedy: Well, I'm not surprised about that.

Senator Warren: So, you're saying she's lying?

Secretary Kennedy: Yes. Every conversation I had with her there were witnesses.

Senator Warren: So, let me get this straight. This is the same person that less than a month earlier you stood next to her and described her as 'unimpeachable' and you had 'full confidence in her' and that you had 'full confidence in her scientific credentials.' And in a month, she became a liar?

Secretary Kennedy: Yeah, you should ask her what changed. And by the way, a month ago you were voting against her because you thought she was either incompetent, ineligible, or unsuited to the task. Well, now I agree with you.

Senator Warren: I voted against her because I was afraid she was going to bend the knee to you and Donald Trump and it looks like she didn't bend the knee so you fired her.

Look, you are putting American babies' health at risk, American seniors' health at risk, all Americans' health at risk and you should resign.

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