Robert F. Kennedy Jr. claimed during his Senate confirmation hearings last year that his trip to Samoa in 2019 had nothing to do with vaccines[1]. However, documents obtained by media such as the Guardian and the Associated Press undermine this statement and show that during the visit he met local officials, the Minister of Health and anti-vaccination activists[1][3]. An e-mail exchange between the officials stated that the real reason for his arrival was to raise awareness of the health risks of vaccination from his point of view[1]. The trip followed vaccination failures in 2018, after which the vaccination rate dropped from 74% in 2017 to 31-34% in 2018[3][2]. In September 2019, a measles epidemic broke out, causing over 5,700 cases and 83 deaths, mostly children, in a population of 200,874 people[3][2] by January 2020. Samoan health professionals associate Kennedy's visit with the strengthening of anti-vaccination sentiments, which contributed to a 30% drop in vaccination rates[2]. By December 2019, the vaccination rate had increased to 94%[3].