In February, the first measles death in the United States in a decade was reported. Since then, outbreaks have grown across the country, leading to another death from the infection. As of June 5, cases in the U.S. have grown to nearly 1,200. Behind Texas, New Mexico, and Kansas report the highest incidences. Only 2% of infections have occurred in vaccinated individuals, prompting public health officials to credit vaccine hesitancy for the increase in outbreaks.
In response to the outbreaks, Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. published an opinion piece in Fox News in March titled, “Measles outbreak is call to action for all of us.” While the article’s subtitle reads, “MMR vaccine is crucial to avoiding potentially deadly diseases,” Kennedy does not explicitly advise parents to vaccinate their children. Kennedy writes that citizens should “consult with their healthcare providers to understand their options to get the MMR vaccine” and that “the decision to vaccinate is a personal one.”
Physicians have been skeptical of the secretary’s decision to frame vaccination as “personal.” The Director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Paul Offit stated, “Whether or not you want to catch and transmit this disease in an epidemic situation where a child has died—[Kennedy is] saying that’s your choice.”
Senator Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico has repeatedly reached out to Kennedy to ask for assistance with the state’s measles outbreak. On March 11, Luján, along with other senators from Maryland, New Jersey, Illinois, Hawaii, Oregon, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island, asked the HHS to “ provide a…[detailed] plan to help stop the spread of measles.” The senators have not received a response.
The Food and Drug Administration’s top vaccine regulator, Dr. Peter Marks, resigned on April 5, citing concerns about the HHS’s promotion of MMR vaccine hesitancy. Marks wrote that “Undermining confidence in well-established vaccines that have met the high standards for quality, safety, and effectiveness… is irresponsible, detrimental to public health, and a clear danger to our nation’s health, safety, and security.”
In response to the outbreaks, some states’ public health departments have created or updated independent MMR vaccine guidance pages. New York Governor Kathy Hochul launched a web portal to support access to vaccines and public health information. The portal highlights a quote from New York State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald, which states, “The single way to prevent measles is to be immunized.”
At the time of publication, over 1,000 cases of Measles have been reported in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Texas, having over 700 cases, reports that 96% of patients have an unknown or unvaccinated status. Kennedy has yet to endorse the MMR vaccine, pointing to larger outbreaks in neighboring Canada and Mexico.
“I don’t think people should be taking medical advice from me,” he said.
By Lotte Brush and Lois Angelo