In the wake of a tragic measles outbreak in West Texas that has claimed the life of an unvaccinated child—the first such death in the U.S. in over a decade—Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has come under intense scrutiny for his dismissive remarks and longstanding anti-vaccination stance.
The outbreak, which has escalated to 124 confirmed cases across nine Texas counties and extended into eastern New Mexico, predominantly affects the under-vaccinated Mennonite community in West Texas. Despite the severity of the situation, Secretary Kennedy downplayed the incident, stating that measles outbreaks are “not unusual.”
At least 124 people have been infected in the fast-spreading outbreak. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said, “we have measles outbreaks every year.”
Critics argue that Kennedy’s comments and his history of promoting vaccine skepticism have contributed to the resurgence of preventable diseases like measles. Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon expressed outrage, stating, “Nothing about kids dying from measles is normal. Anti-vaxxers like RFK Jr. and the Republicans who enable them are responsible for every single one of these deaths.”
Kennedy’s controversial views on vaccines are well-documented. In 2019, during a visit to Samoa amid a severe measles outbreak that resulted in 83 deaths, mostly children, he propagated misinformation linking the MMR vaccine to autism.
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