750 HHS staff send letter to RFK Jr. asking him to stop spreading misinformation
The letter states the deadly shooting that occurred at the Atlanta headquarters of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Aug. 8 was "not random" and was driven by "politicized rhetoric."
Authorities said the 30-year-old gunman -- who killed a police officer in the attack -- had been harboring yearslong grievances with the COVID-19 vaccine. He believed he suffered negative health effects after he got the vaccine, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation found written documents at his home indicating that he wanted to make his discontent known.
MORE: 1 week after deadly shooting at CDC, some employees feel Trump and RFK Jr. have moved on
The signatories are accusing Kennedy of endangering the lives of HHS employees by spreading misinformation.
Kennedy, who oversees the CDC, has peddled vaccine skepticism throughout his career. Before becoming health secretary, Kennedy falsely called the COVID-19 vaccine the "deadliest vaccine ever made."
In a statement to ABC News, HHS said, "Secretary Kennedy is standing firmly with CDC employees -- both on the ground and across every center -- ensuring their safety and well-being remain a top priority. In the wake of this heartbreaking shooting, he traveled to Atlanta to offer his support and reaffirm his deep respect, calling the CDC 'a shining star among global health agencies.'"
"For the first time in its 70-year history, the mission of HHS is truly resonating with the American people -- driven by President Trump and Secretary Kennedy's bold commitment to Make America Healthy Again," the statement continued. "Any attempt to conflate widely supported public health reforms with the violence of a suicidal mass shooter is an attempt to politicize a tragedy."
In the letter, the employees accused Kennedy of being "complicit in dismantling America's public health infrastructure" and of "repeatedly spreading inaccurate health information."
A CDC staffer who signed the letter and asked to remain anonymous due to fears of retribution and safety concerns said she has been frustrated by what she sees as misinformation coming from the nation's top public health officials.
"As part of my oath as a public health professional to stay true to the science and help people, it just felt like a I needed to speak up in some way," the staffer told ABC News.
In the letter, the employees pointed to various examples, such as Kennedy referring to the CDC as a "cesspool of corruption" in a post on X and falsely claiming mRNA vaccines "failed to protect effectively" against COVID and flu.
The letter said such "dangerous and deceitful statements and actions" contributed to the harassment and violence experienced by CDC employees.
Dr. Shiv Prasad, a scientific review officer at the National Institutes of Health who signed the letter, said he felt compelled to do so for many reasons.
"Like my colleagues at the CDC, I am concerned about several things," Prasad, speaking in his personal capacity and not on behalf of NIH or HHS, told ABC News. "One is the misinformation that's being spread, especially concerning vaccines and COVID-19 and it has a way of vilifying federal workers who are working every day to ensure the health of Americans."
He went on, "I'm concerned about the safety of HHS workers ... I think we are all potential targets now."
MORE: RFK Jr. cancels at least $500M in mRNA vaccine funding. What are the implications?
The letter called on Kennedy to take a number of actions by Sept. 2, including not spreading inaccurate health information, affirming the scientific integrity of the CDC and guaranteeing the safety of the HHS workforce.
"Our asks in the letter are genuine, and we certainly hope that Secretary Kennedy will hold true to his oath and do his best to, you know, advance science and affirm that CDC does scientific, nonpartisan work," the CDC staffer said. "We certainly hold that hope, and you know that I would say that our our desire for that, and our hope for that is genuine."
Prasad added that he would also like to see action from Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, the director of NIH. Bhattacharya recently supported Kennedy's decision to cancel $500 million in federal funding for mRNA vaccine development, saying the decision was made because "the mRNA platform is no longer viable."
Prasad said he and his colleagues would like Bhattacharya "to consider the effect of his words, potential effect on NIH staff, because he has made some comments in the past about the origins of COVID-19 and certainly recently with the NIH moving away from mRNA vaccine technology."
"These things are not accepted by the field and, again it's misinformation, and it could lead to it could put us at risk," he continued.
ABC News' Cheyenne Haslett contributed to this report.
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