RFK Jr. after Texas visit: MMR vaccine 'most effective' way to prevent measles spread
U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Sunday he visited Texas after a second child died from measles amid an outbreak since January that's resulted in nearly 500 cases in Texas and has spread across 22 states.
The school-aged child, who was unvaccinated and had no underlying health conditions, died on Thursday in the hospital from measles pulmonary failure, the Texas Department of State Health Services said. "The child was receiving treatment for complications of measles while hospitalized," Aaron Davis, a spokesperson for UMC Health System in Lubbock, Texas, said in an email.
It is the second death of a child in Texas since the measles outbreak began in late January.
In a lengthy post on X Sunday, Kennedy said that he visited Gaines County in West Texas to console the families whose young children have died, later confirming that "the 642 confirmed cases of measles across 22 states, 499 of those in Texas."
"The most effective way to prevent the spread of measles is the MMR vaccine," Kennedy said, adding that he spoke to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and redeployed CDC teams to the state after Abbott's request.
Kennedy's trip to Texas was first reported by Axios.
Kennedy's call for the measles vaccine surprises noted physician, critic
Kennedy, who has a controversial history of questioning the safety and efficacy of vaccines, including falsely linking them to autism, said people are being successfully treated with Vitamin A and cod liver oil for the highly contagious respiratory illness. Multiple children needed treatment for Vitamin A toxicity last week.
Kennedy said in his post that he visited Texas to comfort the Hildebrand family after their daughter's death. He added that he got to know the family of the first child in Texas to die in the measles outbreak, Kayley Fehr, "after she passed away in February."
Kennedy's statement on using a vaccine to curb the spread of measles even surprised London-based infectious disease specialist Dr. Neil Stone.
"Words I never thought I would hear Robert F Kennedy Jr say," Stone wrote on X. "He's absolutely 100% correct and I'm encouraged that he is speaking responsibly about measles in the face of this tragic outbreak."
A child died from measles in late February as the outbreak spread in the South Plains and Lubbock region of Texas. That child was not vaccinated against the disease.
A two-dose vaccine, usually administered as part of a combination with mumps and rubella or MMR vaccine, can prevent more than 97% of infections. Even if a vaccinated person does develop the illness, symptoms are generally mild and the illness is less contagious.
Measles outbreaks have also been reported in Ohio, New Mexico, and Kansas.
How many measles cases are there in the US?
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported a total of 607 confirmed measles cases as of Thursday across 21 states: Alaska, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont and Washington.
The Texas Department of State Health Services on Friday reported 59 new measles cases in three days, a 15% jump, for a total of 481 in the state since late January.
As of Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported a weekly nationwide increase of 124 measles cases, bringing the total to 607 this year. That compares to a nationwide total in 2024 of 285 reported cases.
What is measles?
Measles is a highly contagious respiratory virus. Without vaccinations, the measles virus can cause respiratory symptoms requiring hospitalization in about 1 in 5 cases; about 1 in 20 people with the virus will develop pneumonia. In rare cases, it can cause swelling of the brain and death; it can also cause pregnancy complications, premature birth and low birth weights.
The virus is spread through contact with infectious droplets that can become airborne through coughing, breathing and sneezing.
What are measles' symptoms?
Measles symptoms can begin a week or two after infection and can include high fever, cough, runny nose, and watery, red eyes. Some will develop a flat red facial rash that eventually spreads to the neck, torso and the rest of the body.
People are most contagious about four days before the rash appears and for about four days afterward, and should remain at home.
Pediatricians and other doctors are pushing back against vaccine hesitancy and warning parents that vitamin A and other supplements touted by vaccine critics will not protect their children from the highly contagious and potentially fatal disease.
What should I do if I or someone in my family has measles?
If you think you or a household or family member has measles, isolate at home and contact a trusted health care provider to arrange for testing. It's imperative to inform the provider about the possibility of measles and make appropriate arrangements to avoid exposing others to the virus.
Contributing: Charles A. Ventura; Paste BN; Reuters
(This story was updated to add new information.)