Key facts
- US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. advised parents to vaccinate children against measles.
- The US has recorded 2,371 measles infections this year, the highest in 35 years.
US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. advised parents to vaccinate their children against measles, stating the vaccine is safe and effective. This comes as the US faces its highest number of measles infections in 35 years, with over 2,300 cases recorded this year.
The US Health Secretary's public call for measles vaccination, despite his past promotion of vaccine skepticism, highlights the ongoing challenge of combating misinformation and the critical public health threat posed by resurgent infectious diseases.
US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. urged parents to vaccinate their children against measles, a stance that starkly contrasts with his history of promoting vaccine misinformation. His call came during a contentious interview on CNN's State of the Union, as the US grapples with its highest number of measles infections in 35 years, with 2,371 confirmed cases so far this year.
Kennedy stated that the measles vaccine is effective, stopping the disease in approximately 97% of cases, and also recommended the combined measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. The US is now at risk of losing its measles elimination status, which it has held since 2000, due to 37 new outbreaks this year.
Despite the surge, Kennedy denied taking responsibility for the outbreak, attributing it instead to religious communities that eschew vaccines and global health conditions. His remarks were met with criticism from CNN host Dana Bash, who accused him of spreading misinformation and becoming combative. Kennedy also made unsubstantiated claims about the causes of RSV and Lyme disease, and reiterated doubts about COVID-19 vaccines.
Ashish Jha, a former White House COVID advisor, expressed encouragement at Kennedy's call for vaccination but stated that much of what the Health Secretary said was untrue. Jha criticized the administration for not doing enough to promote vaccines and highlight the dangers of measles.