Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., known for his controversial stance as a vaccine skeptic, has downplayed the severity of a recent measles outbreak in West Texas. This outbreak, which has tragically resulted in the first measles-related death in the United States in nearly a decade, has raised alarms among health officials. Kennedy remarked to reporters, “It’s not unusual,” adding that “we have measles outbreaks every year.”
During the first Cabinet meeting of Donald Trump’s new administration, Kennedy addressed concerns about the outbreak, stating, “There are two people who have died, but we are watching it.” However, the specifics regarding the second death mentioned by Kennedy remain unclear. A representative from Kennedy’s office informed HuffPost via email that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is aware of one child’s death in Texas due to measles, but did not provide details on the alleged second fatality.
The death announced on Wednesday marks the first measles-related fatality in the U.S. since 2015, as confirmed by the CDC to the Associated Press. According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, 124 cases have been reported as of Tuesday, making it the largest outbreak in Texas in almost three decades. The majority of those infected are children, with most cases involving individuals who are unvaccinated or whose vaccination status is unknown. Additional cases have been confirmed in Lea County, New Mexico, which is adjacent to Texas’ northwest border.
“Incidentally, there have been four measles outbreaks this year in this country. Last year there were 16. So it’s not unusual. We have measles outbreaks every year,” Kennedy commented when questioned about the child’s death during the first two months of this year. The CDC corroborates that there were 16 outbreaks in 2024 compared to just four in 2023. In the previous year, there were 285 confirmed cases nationwide. The measles virus poses severe risks for children, potentially leading to respiratory and neurological complications, and even death.
The CDC reports that approximately 1-3 out of every 1,000 measles cases result in death due to complications, while 1 in every 1,000 cases results in acute encephalitis, often leading to permanent brain damage. Despite his lack of a medical background, Kennedy has been a vocal critic of vaccines, promoting conspiracy theories and making unfounded claims about vaccine safety. During his Senate confirmation hearing, he faced intense scrutiny over his anti-vaccine rhetoric and statements made in previous years.
While Kennedy reversed some of his previous comments during the hearing, stating that he supports vaccines and would not advise against them as health secretary, the current measles outbreak highlights a concerning trend. There has been a significant decline in vaccination rates for children in the U.S., with rates dropping from near 95% for a decade to about 93% starting in 2020, largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Achieving herd immunity requires more than 95% of a community to be vaccinated, according to the CDC.
This rise in measles cases and the drop in vaccination rates are particularly alarming given that measles was declared officially eliminated from the U.S. in 2000, thanks to previously high vaccination rates. The elimination status indicated that new cases were only imported from other countries. The current situation underscores the critical need to bolster vaccination efforts to prevent further outbreaks.
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