<img src="https://healthylife7.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/https-3A-2F-2Fmedia.zenfs_.com-2Fen-2Fkget-bakersfield-2F4d2d23228b394fb9ba2b657669a4257b.jpg” alt=””>
Calif. (KGET) — U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. made a stop in the Golden Empire on Thursday for a roundtable discussion focused on healthy eating and <a href="https://healthylife7.com/rfk-jr-visits-bakersfield-to-promote-nutrition-education-defends-new-vaccine-recommendations/” title=”RFK Jr. visits Bakersfield to promote nutrition education, defends new vaccine recommendations”>nutrition education
Kennedy was joined by Congressman Vince Fong and Dylan Wilson, the executive director of the Grimm Family Education Foundation
Advertisement
According to a press release, the roundtable in southwest Bakersfield “(brings) together local and federal partners to discuss efforts to improve access to healthy foods and strengthen nutrition education across the Central Valley.”
During the roundtable, Kennedy said he has a lot of money to spend and is looking to invest in seed-to-table programs across the U.S
Kennedy also answered several questions related to his vaccine policy. He said vaccines should be left to the states to decide
He also said when he was young, he got three vaccines, but his children had to get 94 different vaccines, which he described as being too many
Advertisement
When asked what he has to say to parents in Kern County who are concerned about the measles outbreak as children go back to school, Kennedy said if parents want to make sure their children don’t get measles, they should get vaccinated
“It’s all related to the lack of confidence in vaccination that began during COVID, and the lack of vaccinations that happened during the COVID lockdowns,” Kennedy said. “That’s the generation today that is now getting measles.”
Kennedy’s visit marks the fourth time a high-profile Trump administration official has visited Kern County in the past six months. Earlier this week, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick held a similar roundtable with local leaders to discuss how the federal government can better invest into the Central Valley
Advertisement
Both Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin made stops earlier this year
Kennedy’s visit comes as President Donald Trump issued an executive order lowering the number of required childhood vaccines from 17 to 11
Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KGET 17 News.
