RFK Jr. puts support behind MMR vaccine amid outbreak
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
DALLAS - Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. made a trip to Texas on Sunday to attend the funeral of an 8-year-old girl who died of measles.
After the funeral, Kennedy, who had resisted urging widespread vaccinations as the measles outbreak worsened under his watch, threw his support behind the MMR vaccine.
RFK Jr. on MMR vaccine
What they're saying:
"The most effective way to prevent the spread of measles is the MMR vaccine," Kennedy wrote on social media.
He made the statement in a post elaborating about his visit with the families of both the 6- and 8-year-old children who died. He said he "developed bonds" with the Mennonite community in West Texas in which the virus is mostly spreading.
Doctor-turned senator Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana) called Sunday for stronger messaging from health officials in a post on X.
"Everyone should be vaccinated! There is no treatment for measles. No benefit to getting measles," he wrote. "Top health officials should say so unequivocally b/4 another child dies."
Cassidy requested Kennedy to appear before his health committee Thursday, although Kennedy has not publicly confirmed whether he will attend.
Big picture view:
The measles, mumps and rubella vaccine has been used safely for more than 60 years and is 97% effective against measles after two doses.
RFK Jr. vaccine stance
The backstory:
The vaccine stance of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Trump’s appointed and confirmed Secretary of Health and Human Services, has garnered attention and concern.
Kennedy has a long record of promoting anti-vaccine views, specifically through his founded charity Children’s Health Defense, but rejected the "anti-vax" label to senators during his confirmation hearing and framed it instead as being someone who asks "uncomfortable questions."
He’s promised to examine the CDC’s recommended childhood vaccine schedule that prevents measles, polio and other dangerous diseases.
READ MORE: HHS responds to reports CDC will study refuted vaccine, autism link
In March, the CDC was reportedly about to launch a large study researching a possible link between vaccines and autism.
The study has not been confirmed by the Health and Human Services Department, which heads the CDC and is now run by Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
What we know:
Vaccines have been proven to be safe and effective in laboratory testing and in real world use in hundreds of millions of people over decades — they are considered among the most effective public health measures in history.
A theory that links a rise in autism cases to childhood vaccines has been discredited by multiple studies over the decades. Studies have shown no link between receiving vaccines and developing autism spectrum disorder, according to the CDC.
RFK Jr. travels to Texas for funeral
What we know:
Kennedy says he made the trip to Gaines County, in West Texas, to comfort the family of 8-year-old Daisy Hildebrand. Daisy died on Thursday and, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services, the child's doctors said the cause of death was measles pulmonary failure. The child was not vaccinated and had no reported underlying conditions.
Kennedy says he also met with the family of 6-year-old Kayley Fehr, an unvaccinated child from Gaines County who died in February.
Parents of Texas girl who died from measles still wouldn't vaccinate
The parents of an unvaccinated 6-year-old Texas girl who died from measles said they still wouldn't recommend vaccinations during an interview with an anti-vaccination organization last week.
Kennedy says part of his trip was also to learn how his agency can better help Texas fight the current outbreak.
Measles in Texas
By the numbers:
Texas has 499 confirmed cases of measles since late January, according to Kennedy. Across the U.S., there are 642 confirmed cases across 22 states.
Gaines County has been the center of the outbreak in Texas, where it has especially impacted the Mennonite community.
READ MORE: Who are the Mennonites? Texas measles outbreak impacts community
Kennedy deployed a CDC team to Texas in March to help supply pharmacies and clinics in Texas with Measles, Mumps Rubella vaccines and other medicines. The teams were only supposed to be in the region for one to three weeks.
The HHS secretary said he had spoken to Governor Abbott and offered more assistance from the agency. At the Governor's request, Kennedy redeployed CDC teams to the Lone Star State.
He says similar help will be sent to other affected regions.
What we don't know:
Kennedy did not say where the CDC teams will be deployed.
The Source: Information in this article comes from a social media post by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the Texas Department of State Health Services, the Centers for Disease Control, the Associated Press, and previous FOX Digital coverage.