Revealed: RFK Jr’s Samoa Visit and Vaccine Mission Under Scrutiny
New evidence casts doubt on RFK Jr – Recent documents have raised new questions about Robert F Kennedy Jr’s Senate confirmation testimony, suggesting his trip to Samoa in 2019 was part of a deliberate effort to examine the country’s vaccination practices. This comes as a measles outbreak swept through the Pacific island nation, claiming the lives of 83 people, many under the age of five, and as evidence mounts that Kennedy’s claims about the purpose of his visit were misleading.
The Mission That Broke the Silence
According to records shared with the Guardian, Kennedy’s associate, Dr. Michael Graven, informed Samoan officials via email that the visit was not a casual event but a targeted mission to investigate the island’s medical records following a “discontinuity in vaccinations.” The email stated, “We all look forward to the opportunity to be of service to the people of Samoa with our mission,” highlighting the intent behind the trip. This contradicts Kennedy’s earlier assertion during his Senate hearing that the trip had “nothing to do with vaccines” and was instead aimed at attending a cultural celebration and showcasing a “state-of-the-art” medical informatics system.
“We all look forward to the opportunity to be of service to the people of Samoa with our mission,” Dr. Michael Graven wrote.
Graven, who served as the chief information officer for Children’s Health Defense, the non-profit organization Kennedy chaired, emphasized the mission’s focus on analyzing vaccination data. The group, known for its anti-vaccine stance, had previously called for studies comparing vaccinated and unvaccinated children to assess health outcomes. The Samoa visit appeared to align with this agenda, especially after a 2018 incident in which two infants died from a contaminated measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine, prompting a nationwide pause on immunizations for 10 months.
A Truce in Vaccination Rates
The government of Samoa suspended all vaccinations for 10 months, from late 2018 to April 2019, leading to a sharp decline in coverage rates. During this period, Kennedy’s group began reaching out to Samoan officials, according to emails obtained by the Guardian and the Associated Press. These communications laid the groundwork for the subsequent trip, which took place on 30 May 2019, just weeks before the outbreak of measles that would devastate the population.
While Kennedy maintained that his visit was unrelated to vaccines, the timing of the trip and the focus on medical records suggest a strategic alignment with the ongoing crisis. Samoan officials later acknowledged that Kennedy’s presence lent credibility to anti-vaccine advocates, a claim that has fueled criticism of his testimony. The measles outbreak, which erupted months after his departure, left thousands hospitalized and underscored the consequences of vaccine hesitancy.
Documents Under Fire
Additional evidence has emerged from emails exchanged between Graven and Samoan officials, further complicating Kennedy’s narrative. In a March 2019 message, Graven outlined the mission’s objectives, stating he would act as the “Health Informatician” conducting statistical analyses. Two months later, he reiterated the purpose, describing the trip as a “mission” focused on evaluating the impact of the vaccination hiatus.
“The mission involves health informatics evaluation from medical record data from all hospitals and clinics in Samoa to evaluate outcomes associated with the recent discontinuity in vaccinations,” Graven wrote.
These documents, released in batches by the US Department of State since January 2026 as part of an open records lawsuit, reveal that Kennedy’s team was actively preparing for the visit. The emails also show that Graven had a history of working on health informatics projects in 48 countries, lending weight to his role in the mission. Despite this, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) spokespersons have yet to comment on the findings, leaving the controversy unresolved.
A Glimpse Into Vaccine Skepticism
The Samoa visit has become a focal point in debates about vaccine safety and public health policy. Kennedy has long advocated for studies that compare vaccinated and unvaccinated populations, arguing that such research would provide clearer insights into the effects of immunization. The 2018 vaccine incident, which caused the deaths of two infants, had already sparked widespread skepticism about vaccines, creating an environment where Kennedy’s mission could gain traction.
Graven, who died in 2022, described his role in the mission as collecting data and performing statistical analysis, aiming to “evaluate outcomes” without bias. He claimed to have witnessed the “harmful effects of vaccine-preventable illness” during his career and expressed a belief that the Samoa pause offered a unique opportunity to study these effects. However, the emergence of these emails has prompted critics to argue that Kennedy’s testimony before the Senate was not entirely truthful.
Senate Testimony and the Echoes of Doubt
During his confirmation hearing last year, Kennedy insisted that his visit to Samoa was a cultural and technical endeavor, not a public relations push for vaccine skepticism. He stated, “You cannot find a single Samoan who will say I didn’t get a vaccine because of Bobby Kennedy,” a claim that has since been called into question. The Guardian and Associated Press, having obtained emails from US government and UNICEF officials, presented evidence that Kennedy’s team had been actively coordinating with Samoan authorities to prepare for the visit.
Two Democratic senators and a House member have since accused Kennedy of lying to the Senate, citing the emails as proof of his intent. The documents reveal a deliberate effort to connect the Samoa trip with the broader anti-vaccine movement, despite Kennedy’s insistence that it was a separate event. The controversy has intensified as the measles outbreak in Samoa has highlighted the vulnerability of the population to vaccine-preventable diseases.
Implications for Public Health
The situation in Samoa has had lasting repercussions, with vaccination rates remaining low even after the government resumed immunizations. The outbreak, which followed Kennedy’s visit, demonstrated the risks of vaccine hesitancy and the potential for misinformation to spread rapidly. Critics argue that Kennedy’s mission may have contributed to the delay in resuming full vaccination efforts, exacerbating the crisis.
As the debate over vaccines continues, the Samoa visit stands as a symbol of the intersection between public health policy and political influence. The new evidence not only challenges Kennedy’s Senate testimony but also underscores the importance of transparency in government actions related to health initiatives. With the release of more documents expected, the scrutiny over his claims is likely to persist, shaping the narrative around vaccine safety and public trust in the years ahead.
