- Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is urging Americans to vaccinate their children against measles as a deadly outbreak in Texas continues to spread. In an op-ed on Fox News’ website, he said the outbreak is a “call to action for all of us.”
- During the week of Feb. 24, Kennedy appeared to downplay the current outbreak, saying it’s “not unusual.”
- Kennedy said 146 measles cases have been confirmed so far: 116 among children and 79 among unvaccinated people of unspecified age.
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Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appears to be changing his tune on certain vaccines after years of casting doubt on their efficacy. He penned an op-ed titled “Measles Outbreak is a Call to Action for Us All” that was posted to Fox News’ website Sunday, March 2.
What did Kennedy say?
In the op-ed, Kennedy said 146 measles cases have been confirmed since January. Of the 146, 116 of the cases are in children younger than 18. He said before the vaccine was introduced in the 1960s, “virtually every child in the United States contracted measles.”
During the week of Feb. 24, Kennedy told reporters the outbreak is “not unusual,” but in Sunday’s op-ed, he said he’s “deeply concerned” about the spread of the disease.
While acknowledging the decision to vaccinate is “deeply personal,” Kennedy is now speaking out in favor of them.
“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,” Kennedy said
He added this outbreak is a “call to action for all of us to reaffirm our commitment to public health.”
What the status on the outbreak?
So far in this current outbreak, more than half of the confirmed cases are in people who have not been vaccinated, though their ages were not mentioned. The only death was that of an unvaccinated school-aged child.
The measles outbreak comes as vaccination rates have fallen around the country. The cases in Texas have predominantly been in a community of Mennonites, a Christian sect that does not believe in vaccines.
The measles vaccine is required for most children in the U.S. to enter public schools, but Texas allows children to be exempt based on religious or other conscience-related reasons.
