Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s sister and nephew called on him to resign Friday after he cast doubt on vaccine safety during testimony before a Senate Finance Committee hearing. The calls came just hours after President Trump rejected Kennedy’s position and publicly urged Americans to continue taking vaccines. “Medical decisions belong in the hands of trained and licensed professionals, not incompetent and misguided leadership,” Kerry Kennedy said in a statement. Joe Kennedy III, a former U.S. congressman from Massachusetts, called his uncle “a threat to the well-being of every American.” More than 1,000 Health and Human Services workers signed a letter demanding Kennedy’s removal, saying his mistrust of modern medicine endangers public health. Senators criticized Kennedy for dismissing vaccine efficacy, for firing CDC leadership, and for pushing uncertainty in the aftermath of the pandemic. President Trump’s break with Kennedy was unambiguous: “Vaccines pure and simple do work. I think those vaccines should be used, otherwise some people are going to catch it and they endanger other people,” he told reporters Friday. RFK Jr. is no stranger to controversy. During the 2024 election cycle, his presidential bid was denounced by four of his siblings, who said he did not share the family’s values. Roughly 50 Kennedys campaigned for Joe Biden instead, underscoring the divide. The backlash has renewed public scrutiny of how the healthcare system operates. Critics of Kennedy argue his rhetoric undermines vital institutions like the NIH and CDC. But others point to deeper structural issues. Having worked years ago in fine-dining service at a high-end steakhouse, I personally witnessed a private board dinner where healthcare executives discussed the possible repeal of Obamacare. When one estimate suggested 20 million Americans could lose coverage, a board member responded in a way that made clear patient well-being was secondary to profit. That night convinced me that much of modern American medicine is a for-profit system that does not put humans first. From that experience, I cannot fully dismiss Kennedy’s critique of an industry dominated by big pharma and profit motives. The problem is not raising questions but how he frames them. Casting blanket doubt on vaccines risks public health, but ignoring the destructive nature of corporate medicine is equally dangerous. True reform requires both awareness of systemic failures and a commitment to evidence-based safety measures. Healthcare has changed drastically in the last 25 years. New nutritional science alone has forced the medical community to rethink decades of conventional advice. Studies continue to reveal that many long-standing practices were flawed. The shift from breast milk to formula, the explosion of processed foods, and the prioritization of chemical medicine have shaped an unhealthy population. My own experience living on a strict animal-based diet for more than a year has shown me the power of returning to fundamentals: I have less joint pain, stronger ligaments, and better overall health. That perspective makes me sympathetic to reformers, but reform must come responsibly. The American public deserves honest leaders who will hold corporate medicine accountable without putting lives at risk by spreading blanket distrust of proven treatments. Kennedy’s approach has left him isolated. He is facing a rare convergence of family disapproval, bipartisan criticism, employee pushback, and presidential rebuke. Whether he resigns or fights to remain in office, the moment has opened a much broader conversation about profit, trust, and the future of American healthcare. The debate around Kennedy shows the urgent need for accountability in medicine, but also for leadership that balances skepticism with responsibility. Sources – Senate Finance Committee testimony, Sept 2025 – Statements from Kerry Kennedy and Joe Kennedy III – President Trump remarks to press, Sept 2025 – Denverite reporting on HHS staff letter