Robert F. Kennedy Jr., as Secretary of Health and Human Services, is taking steps to address the escalating measles outbreak in Texas and neighboring states. According to AP News, Kennedy visited the epicenter of the outbreak on Sunday, the same day the funeral was held for a young child who was not vaccinated and reportedly died of a measles-related illness. Kennedy also met with the families of both the six and eight-year-old children who passed away.
Kennedy has highlighted the importance of vaccination as the most effective tool against measles. His visit to Texas, including attendance at the funeral of a child lost to measles, shows his commitment to understanding the crisis firsthand and supporting affected communities.
According to AP News, “Seminole is the epicenter of the outbreak, which started in late January and continues to swell — with nearly 500 cases in Texas alone, plus cases from the outbreak believed to have spread to New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas and Mexico.”
Despite his skepticism about vaccine policies, Kennedy has openly acknowledged the role of vaccines in achieving community immunity. He has urged families to consult healthcare providers about vaccination decisions while promoting additional therapeutic options endorsed by the CDC. While his approach reflecting “holistic medicine” has reportedly sparked debate amid concerns, Kennedy emphasizes personal choice alongside public health measures, aiming to balance individual freedoms with effective disease prevention.
According to AP News, “The measles, mumps and rubella vaccine has been used safely for more than 60 years and is 97% effective against measles after two doses. Dr. Manisha Patel, CDC incident manager, said in a Sunday news conference that the MMR vaccine is the best way to protect against measles. She also told parents in Gaines County that it was important not to ‘delay care’ for a child who is sick with measles.”
“Call your doctor and make sure you’re talking to a health care professional who can guide you on those next steps,” Patel said.
A recent social media post by Kennedy mentioned that CDC personnel had been “redeployed.” According to CDC spokesman Jason McDonald, the first CDC team arrived in Gaines County at the beginning of March and left on April 1. Meanwhile, a new team led by Patel was reassigned and arrived on Sunday to assess the situation, following directives from Kennedy and a request from the governor of Texas.
During a press briefing on Air Force One, Trump was questioned about the outbreak on Sunday. He stated that reports were being compiled and indicated that if the situation escalates, “we’ll have to take action very strongly.”
I’m 74 years old, I had 5 siblings and we ALL caught measles, mumps, whooping cough, and rubella. None of us died. None of us were vaccinated. We were encouraged to go visit our friends so they and we could get “community” immunity. All this stress on vaccination is a smoke screen for the big pharmaceutical companies to make more money.
Yes it’s sad when a child dies, but how many have died because they took a recommended vaccination shot that the government was/is pushing? One of my girlfriends back in high school was vaccinated against polio and caught it anyway. She used crutches because of what it did to her.