Sen. Susan Collins voted to confirm Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as secretary of health and human services despite her “concerns” about his anti-vaccine policies because, she said, of deference to President Trump’s right to build his own governing team.

Sen. Angus King voted against Kennedy’s confirmation, calling him “grossly unqualified” and a “danger” to public health.

If we didn’t already know which of our senators was wiser, history is making it clear. Measles was declared eradicated in the U.S. in 2000. Due to declining vaccination rates, this potentially deadly disease has surged back with 1,309 confirmed cases and three deaths so far this year.

Besides potential fatality, measles causes pneumonia in 1 in 20 infected children and brain swelling that can cause permanent disability in 1 in 1,000 cases. The secretary of HHS should be encouraging sound public health policies and not promoting vaccine skepticism based on well-debunked claims such as that the measles vaccine causes autism.

Sen. King was right. Sen. Collins was wrong. We can no longer afford to have a senator who will allow harm to our children in deference to President Trump’s authoritarian, anti-fact, anti-science agenda. In 2026, we must vote to replace Susan Collins with a more responsible senator.

Robyn K. Goshorn, MD, FACP
South Portland