Letter: Alaska senators need to vote against RFK Jr. nomination

I urge our Alaska senators, Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, to not confirm the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy to be Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.

When I was a child I had a serious case of measles and was confined to a dark room for weeks. It was miserable and ultimately affected my vision. I was about nine when my parents rushed me to get vaccinated against polio. I was protected, but had classmates who unfortunately suffered disabilities from polio.

Childhood vaccine rates are in decline in the U.S. The continuing spread of whooping cough already suggests a possible loss of herd immunity. This deadly disease, also known as pertussis, can kill small children. The declining vaccination rates are due in part to Robert F. Kennedy and his followers actively spreading unscientific conspiracy theories about vaccines. His elevation to a cabinet-level position will further undermine the public’s confidence in vaccines. The likely result will be to make American children sick again.

— Duff Pfanner, Anchorage

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