WELLINGTON, New Zealand — The Director-General of Health in Samoa, Dr. Alec Ekeroma, has strongly criticized remarks made by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. during his recent candidacy for the position of U.S. health secretary. Kennedy claimed that some of the individuals who succumbed during the 2019 measles outbreak in Samoa did not actually have the disease. Dr. Ekeroma described these assertions as “a complete lie,” emphasizing the misinformation surrounding the tragic epidemic that claimed the lives of 83 people, primarily young children under the age of five.
During a tense Senate hearing last week, Kennedy remarked, “We don’t know what was killing them,” casting doubt on the official causes behind these fatalities. This statement provoked significant backlash as U.S. senators scrutinized Kennedy’s past connections to Samoa and his role during the epidemic.
The measles outbreak in Samoa in 2019 was devastating, resulting in the deaths of 83 individuals within a population of 200,000. Contributing factors to the outbreak included historically low vaccination rates, exacerbated by previous public health mismanagement and the tragic deaths of two infants in 2018 due to improperly prepared vaccines. This incident led to widespread fear regarding the safety of the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine, prompting a ten-month suspension of vaccinations before the outbreak coincided with Kennedy’s trip organized by a local anti-vaccine influencer.
Kennedy has since denied having any influence on the anti-vaccine sentiments during his visit, although Dr. Ekeroma noted, “Anti-vaxxers from New Zealand came to be with him here,” indicating that Kennedy’s presence may have had a broader impact.
In his testimony, Kennedy implied that many tissue samples sent for testing in New Zealand revealed that those who died did not have measles. In response, Dr. Ekeroma, who is both a medical doctor and holds a doctorate in health, labeled this statement as a significant denial of reality. According to him, various international doctors had traveled to Samoa to address measles cases, and while only one autopsy was conducted, postmortem tissue analysis is not typically necessary for measles diagnoses due to the illness’s straightforward nature. Blood samples from living patients were tested in Australia and New Zealand, confirming the same strain of measles that was prevalent in New Zealand at the time.
Regarding his trip, Kennedy stated, “I went there – nothing to do with vaccines,” claiming that his intention was to implement a medical informatics system to help streamline health records in Samoa. However, Dr. Ekeroma dismissed this declaration, sharing that social media accounts of anti-vaccine activists showed photos taken with Kennedy during his visit, further fueling the atmosphere of misinformation.
Moreover, Kennedy had previously expressed skepticism about the vaccine’s safety in correspondence with Samoa’s then-prime minister, suggesting that some deaths might be linked to the measles vaccine. This claim has not waned, as Kennedy reiterated these thoughts during follow-up communications with senators post-hearing, urging investigations into the outbreak’s sources.
Despite Kennedy’s defense that his words did not influence vaccination rates or the outbreak, Dr. Ekeroma contended that his visit encouraged anti-vaccine advocates, exacerbating the misinformation already spreading in Samoa and beyond. Local nurse Moelagi Leilani Jackson remarked on how anti-vaccine advocates were emboldened in the aftermath of Kennedy’s visit, stating she felt they gained confidence from his presence. In opposition, however, Dr. Ekeroma maintained that the leadership in Samoa did not align with Kennedy’s beliefs, asserting that vaccination campaigns resumed in 2019 and mandated the measles vaccine for children.
Looking ahead, Dr. Ekeroma expressed concerns regarding Kennedy’s potential appointment as the head of U.S. health officials, labeling it a “danger to us, a danger to everyone” in the Pacific. He pointed out that Kennedy would have the ability to dictate U.S. funding for vaccination efforts, making access to affordable vaccines more difficult for smaller nations such as Samoa. In light of this, Dr. Ekeroma emphasized the need for regional dialogue to mitigate Kennedy’s influence in the Pacific.
