Kennedy on Sunday visited the center of the still-growing Texas measles outbreak to attend the funeral of a second Gaines County child who died from measles, the second known measles death in the United States since 2015.
Public health and infectious diseases experts gave Kennedy some credit for a social media post that day saying the measles vaccine is the "most effective way to prevent the spread" of the disease.
Still, experts said any effectiveness was undercut by Kennedy’s mixed messages and unwillingness to be more vocal about the benefits of vaccines outside of prepared remarks, social media posts or op-eds.
“It's heartening on one hand that the Secretary acknowledged vaccination is the primary way to stop the spread, but it’s noteworthy that the acknowledgement was the stuff of headlines,” said Jason Schwartz, an associate professor and vaccine researcher at the Yale School of Public Health.
For example, hours after his post on X talking about vaccination, Kennedy also highlighted the work of two doctors treating infected children with steroids and an antibiotic that physicians say are ineffective and not recommended.
One of the “extraordinary healers” Kennedy praised has criticized measles vaccination and said in a podcast last month that “it's clear” the MMR vaccine causes autism.
Kennedy also indicated the outbreak is easing, a fact belied by the numbers on the ground.
There were 642 confirmed cases across 22 states earlier this month, with nearly 500 of them in Texas. The Texas outbreak has also spread to Kansas and Oklahoma.
“Everyone should be vaccinated! There is no treatment for measles. No benefit to getting measles,” Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) said in a post on X.
Cassidy, chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, had previously questioned Kennedy’s anti-vaccine past and expressed concern about his ability to lead HHS before eventually voting to confirm him.
Cassidy invited Kennedy to testify at a hearing later this week, ostensibly about the recent firings across the agency. However, it’s not clear if Kennedy has accepted. A HELP Committee spokesperson said HHS was working on a response. HHS did not comment.
