ICYMI: Bennet Questioning Leads Kennedy to Acknowledge Safety and Efficacy of Measles Vaccine

Apr 23, 2026 | Press Releases

Video of Bennet's Full Line of Questioning During the Hearing is Available HERE

Washington, D.C. - Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet pressed U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. yesterday during a Senate Finance Committee hearing to admit on the record that the measles vaccine is effective and the strongest way to prevent outbreaks - a notable change in position. By pressing Kennedy to acknowledge the measles vaccine's 97 percent effectiveness, Bennet has done more to elevate public awareness of its benefits than Kennedy has throughout his tenure.

When speaking with Kaitlan Collins on CNN's The Source last night, Bennet highlighted Sec. Kennedy's newfound position on the measles vaccine and what it means to parents and kids in Colorado who are more uncertain than ever about how to protect their children.

CNN - The Source

Collins: So you did see that as a shift?

Bennet: I definitely saw it as a shift. Yeah, he's denied it all the way through, and the question I asked him was, 'Do you agree with the CDC, the Center for Disease Control head, who says that vaccines are effective and kids should be vaccinated?' And he said, 'Yes.'

Now…I think the guy should resign, Kennedy, and I've said that for a long time, because the misinformation that he has sent out to America has meant that moms and dads have been really scared about whether to get their kids vaccinated, whether their kids are going to be safe in school. These are things we took for granted before he showed up, and at least for 30 years we've taken it for granted. Now he's raised a huge question about it.

Here's what they're saying:

National Public Radio - Senators grill RFK Jr. on vaccines, drug prices and more at hearing

Nonetheless, when Sen. Michael Bennet, a Democrat from Colorado, pushed Kennedy in the Senate Finance Committee hearing to take a stance on the measles vaccine, Kennedy gave a firm defense of the shots. Prior to his role in the Trump administration, Kennedy built his fame and fortune on anti-vaccine activism.

Bennet asked, "Are you taking the position as your CDC director has taken, that the measles vaccine is vital to keeping American children healthy in this country?"

The Guardian - RFK Jr faces intense questions in US Senate on measles and flu deaths

Senator Michael Bennet questioned Kennedy about changes to vaccine recommendations, pointing out that 2025 saw the highest number of childhood flu deaths in modern American history.

"I assume you no longer believe that the flu vaccine is destroying children's brains, that there's zero evidence that the flu vaccine prevents any hospitalizations or any deaths, because today, you're here agreeing that the vast majority of kids that died from the flu were people without vaccines," Bennet said.

Kennedy replied: "We're making sure that we follow the science."

Bennet then asked whether Kennedy was "taking the position that the measles vaccine is vital to keeping American children healthy in this country".

"That's my position," Kennedy responded. "We promote the measles vaccine."

Washington Post - GOP doctors press Kennedy on vaccines in tense Senate hearings

Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colorado) got into a fiery exchange with Kennedy over his past comments on the flu vaccine, mentioning Kennedy's previous comments - surfaced in a Washington Post examination in February - that the flu vaccine was "destroying" children's brains.

Politico - Senate's No. 2 Republican grills RFK Jr. on vaccines

[…] [I]n a different exchange with Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) about the spread of measles in the country - there have been nearly 4,000 cases since January 2025 - Kennedy said that vaccination would make a difference.

NOTUS - RFK Jr. Doesn't Fully Commit to Independence for CDC Pick on Vaccines

Democrats hammered Kennedy over the flu vaccine, questioning his commitment to promoting it and noting last year's flu season was particularly dire for children.

"Do you agree that 89 percent of the children who died from the flu were unvaccinated?" asked Sen. Michael Bennet, a Colorado Democrat.

"I don't know the exact number," Kennedy responded. While he said the Food and Drug Administration has approved several influenza vaccines for the next flu season, he also disparaged this season's formulation, which still reduced the risk of hospitalization and infections but was considered less effective than in previous years.

"That is the exact number," Bennet said.

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