U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. visited West Texas on Sunday following the death of a second unvaccinated school-aged child due to a measles-related illness. As he prepared for a “Make America Healthy Again” tour across the southwestern United States, Kennedy noted on social media that he was present in Gaines County to offer comfort to families who have lost two young children. The town of Seminole is the center of a measles outbreak that began in late January, currently affecting nearly 500 individuals in Texas alone. Kennedy has also been collaborating with health officials in Texas to manage the outbreak.
The Texas State Department of State Health Services announced that the recent child fatality, who did not have underlying health conditions, died from what their doctors described as measles pulmonary failure. Aaron Davis, a UMC Health System spokesperson in Lubbock, Texas, confirmed that the child was receiving treatment for measles-related complications while hospitalized. This marks the third known measles-related death associated with the current outbreak, with the previous cases involving another school-aged child in Texas and an adult in New Mexico, neither of whom were vaccinated.
Kennedy, known for his anti-vaccine stance prior to his appointment as the nation’s top health official earlier this year, has refrained from advocating widespread vaccination as the outbreak has intensified. In a detailed statement on social media platform X, Kennedy acknowledged that the most effective method for preventing measles spread is the MMR vaccine, which has a history of more than 60 years of safe use and is 97% effective against measles after two doses.
He added that teams from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had been reassigned to address the outbreak, although the CDC did not previously indicate any withdrawal during the ongoing crisis. The CDC and state health department updated their measles reports to include the most recent death, initially reported over the weekend.
Nationally, the United States is experiencing more than twice the number of measles cases compared to the entirety of 2024. The West Texas outbreak, ongoing for over two months, is believed to have extended to New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Kansas, with approximately 570 individuals affected. The World Health Organization has also identified related cases in Mexico. In Texas, the number of cases rose by 81 from March 28 to April 4, and 16 additional hospitalizations were reported.
Republican U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy from Louisiana, whose vote was instrumental in Kennedy’s confirmation, urged for more direct communication from health officials in a social media post. He emphasized the importance of vaccination, stating there is no alternative treatment for measles and no advantage in contracting it.
A CDC spokesperson highlighted the measles vaccine’s efficacy but did not explicitly advocate for vaccination, saying that the decision should be personal and informed by a discussion with healthcare providers. The spokesperson mentioned the need to understand the risks and benefits associated with vaccines.
Misinformation regarding the prevention and treatment of measles is obstructing a comprehensive public health response, including the promotion of vitamin A supplements, which some advocates, including Kennedy, endorse despite doctors advising they be administered under medical supervision due to potential toxicity risks.
Doctors at Covenant Children’s Hospital in Lubbock have treated fewer than ten children for liver issues stemming from excess vitamin A, identified during routine laboratory tests on under-vaccinated children with measles. Dr. Lara Johnson, the hospital’s chief medical officer, noted the patients’ accounts of using vitamin A for measles prevention and treatment.
Former FDA vaccine chief Dr. Peter Marks attributed responsibility for the death to Kennedy and his staff, citing disagreements over vaccine safety that led to his departure from the FDA. Marks described the child’s death as preventable and emphasized the necessity of vaccination in preventing such outcomes.
He cautioned U.S. senators that additional deaths may occur without a more assertive response to the epidemic. Kennedy is set to testify before the Senate health committee on Thursday. Experts and local health officials anticipate the outbreak could persist for several more months, potentially up to a year, particularly since the majority of cases in West Texas involve unvaccinated individuals and children under 17 years old.
With multiple states encountering outbreaks of this vaccine-preventable disease and a nationwide decline in childhood vaccination rates, there is concern that measles could lead to the U.S. losing its status of having eliminated the disease altogether.
Measles is an airborne respiratory virus that can remain viable in the air for up to two hours. According to the CDC, up to 90% of individuals exposed who are not immune will contract the virus. The vaccine is advised in two doses for children, the first between 12 to 15 months of age and the second between 4 to 6 years.
This article was originally published on Fortune.com.
