Two days after initially dismissing the outbreak as “not unusual,” U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Friday he is aware of the serious impact of the ongoing measles outbreak in Texas, where he recently passed away, and that the government is providing resources, including protective vaccines.
“Ending the measles outbreak is a top priority for me and my extraordinary team,” Kennedy, a lauded anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist who has been questioning the safety and efficacy of the vaccine for years, says in a post in X.
Kennedy said his federal Department of Health and Human Services will send 2,000 doses of measles, mumps and rubella vaccines in Texas. This is intended to be given through a vaccination programme, usually 2 shots between 12 and 15 months and children between the ages of 4 and 6.
Previously, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) supported the role of vaccines this week in providing protection against measles after an unvaccinated child dies from an infectious disease. The death reported on Wednesday was the first US lethal death from a highly contagious disease in a decade. Government data shows an increase in Texas’ reported outbreaks since late January.
The death of a child and hospitalization of nearly 20 other Texas patients have tested Kennedy’s vaccine views.
Kennedy has established a Children’s Health Defense Anti-Vaccination Group. However, he claims he is not “anti-vaccine” and says he will not prevent Americans from getting vaccinated.
A total of 164 measles cases were reported in California, Alaska, Georgia, Georgia, New Jersey, Kentucky, New York City, New York City, Rhode Island and Texas on February 27th, according to the CDC. Approximately 95% of infected people were unvaccinated, including children whose parents did not follow the CDC recommendations to immunize safe and effective vaccines and provide protection against measles and other easy preventable diseases. Another 3% came from those who received only one of the two shots needed for immunity, CDC data showed on Friday.
These cases were reported in nine jurisdictions, including Kentucky, marking nearly 80% jumps from 93 cases reported a week ago.
Also on Friday, Kennedy’s Department of Health and Human Services announced plans to eliminate public participation in policy decisions from many agencies. This is a proposal that explicitly frustrated the promise of “radical transparency” he previously made to Congress while considering confirming Donald Trump’s appointment to the second presidential administration.
For decades, the Health and Human Services Department has allowed such public comments on the actions of various agents. This marks a prominent change in the rulemaking process at agencies that direct three tons of healthcare spending and oversee programs such as the CDC, Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health, and Medicare and Medicaid.
Reuters contributed to the report
