RFK Jr. Calls Measles Outbreak 'Top Priority', Says Vaccines 'Protect Children'

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has called the deadly measles outbreak in Texas a “top priority” for his department — after previously calling the situation “not unusual.”

“I am deeply concerned,” Kennedy, the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, said in a op-ed piece for Fox News — where the longtime vaccine skeptic touted the benefits of the measles vaccine: “Vaccines not only protect individual children from measles, but also contribute to community immunity, protecting those who are unable to be vaccinated due to medical reasons,” he wrote.

The most recent update from the Texas Department of State Health Services confirms that there are 146 cases of measles, with 20 hospitalizations, and one death of a school-aged child.

“The child was not vaccinated,” the agency confirmed. 

Of 146 cases, Kennedy confirmed in his op-ed that 79 were unvaccinated, while 62 cases had “unknown vaccine status.” Most of those sickened in Texas are children, Kennedy said, with 116 of the 146 cases occurring in individuals under 18 years of age. 

Kennedy previously said the outbreak was “not unusual,” The New York Times reports. “We have measles outbreaks every year." he said.  But Jason Schwartz, an associate professor of health policy at the Yale School of Public Health told the NYT, "It’s a rarity that we see an unfolding outbreak of this scale."

As Kennedy wrote in a post on X from his official account, @SecKennedy, “The measles outbreak in Texas is a call to action for all of us to reaffirm our commitment to public health. By working together -- parents, healthcare providers, community leaders, and government officials, we can prevent future outbreaks and protect the health of our nation. Under my leadership, HHS is and will always be committed to radical transparency to regain the public’s trust in its health agencies.”

Measles is airborne and spreads easily. As Dr. Bruce Farber, Chief of Public Health and Epidemiology for Northwell Health, told PEOPLE in 2024, "It's extraordinarily contagious."

"If you take one person with measles. and you put them in a room with 10 others, and if they're not immune, then nine out of those 10 will get measles just from airborne spread," Farber said.

The only way to achieve immunity is to either recover from the virus, or to get vaccinated, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control says. While the virus does come with a telltale red skin inflammation, “measles isn't just a little rash,” the CDC says; the disease also comes with a high fever, cough, and runny nose. It also carries a risk of pneumonia and encephalitis (swelling of the brain), which can cause hearing loss, cognitive disabilities and death.

“Parents play a pivotal role in safeguarding their children’s health. All parents should consult with their healthcare providers to understand their options to get the MMR vaccine,” Kennedy wrote — adding the caveat that “The decision to vaccinate is a personal one.” 

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