Well being Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a distinguished vaccine skeptic, dismissed issues a couple of measles outbreak spreading in west Texas that has reportedly claimed the nation’s first life in a decade, telling reporters: “It’s commonplace” and “we have now measles outbreaks yearly.”
“There are two individuals who have died, however we’re watching it. There are about 20 folks hospitalized, primarily for quarantine,” he stated Wednesday when requested in regards to the dying in the course of the first Cupboard assembly of Donald Trump’s new administration.
His feedback instantly adopted well being officers in Lubbock, Texas, asserting the dying of an unvaccinated school-age youngster. It’s not clear when or the place this second dying cited by Kennedy occurred or whether or not there was a second dying in any respect.
A spokesperson for his workplace informed HuffPost in an e mail that the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention “is conscious of the dying of 1 youngster in Texas from measles.” They didn’t touch upon or clarify the second dying cited by Kennedy.
The dying introduced Wednesday is the primary attributed to measles within the U.S. since 2015, the CDC, which didn’t instantly reply to HuffPost’s request for remark, informed The Associated Press.
The Texas Division of State Well being Companies has reported 124 cases as of Tuesday, making it the most important outbreak the state has seen in practically 30 years, state well being officers have stated. The overwhelming majority of these contaminated in Texas are kids, and all however 5 of the circumstances are in people who find themselves unvaccinated or with a standing unknown.
9 extra circumstances even have been confirmed in Lea County, New Mexico, which is alongside Texas’ northwest border.
“By the way, there have been 4 measles outbreaks this yr on this nation. Final yr there have been 16. So it’s commonplace. We have now measles outbreaks yearly,” Kennedy stated when requested in regards to the youngster’s dying in the course of the first two months of this yr. The CDC confirms 16 outbreaks in 2024 however reported simply 4 outbreaks in 2023.
U.S. Well being and Human Companies Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. attends a Cupboard assembly Wednesday on the White Home. Andrew Harnik by way of Getty Photos
For comparability, there have been 285 confirmed circumstances throughout the nation throughout all of final yr.
The virus might be particularly harmful for youngsters, leading to respiratory and neurologic issues and dying.
Roughly 1-3 out of each 1,000 measles circumstances will end in dying from these issues, whereas 1 in each 1,000 measles circumstances will end in acute encephalitis, which frequently leads to everlasting mind harm, in accordance with the CDC.
Kennedy, who doesn’t have a medical background, has a protracted file of anti-vaccine advocacy and different conspiracy theories, which he was repeatedly grilled over throughout his Senate affirmation listening to final month.
In 2023 he falsely stated “there’s no vaccine that’s secure and efficient,” and in 2021 he urged folks to “resist” CDC pointers on when children ought to get vaccinated. He’s additionally falsely claimed that vaccines trigger autism.
He reversed a few of these feedback throughout his listening to, telling lawmakers that he helps vaccines and wouldn’t discourage folks from getting vaccinated as well being secretary.
The present measles outbreak comes amid a yearslong decline in vaccination charges for youngsters within the U.S.
The vaccination price was close to 95% for 10 years earlier than dropping to about 93% beginning in 2020 in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. So-called herd immunity might be reached when greater than 95% of a group’s inhabitants has been vaccinated, according to the CDC.
This rise in circumstances, and drop in vaccinations, follows measles being declared formally eradicated from the U.S. in 2000 due to the nation’s then-high vaccination price. That standing meant that the one new circumstances that occurred had been from individuals who contracted the virus from one other nation and returned with it.
“Earlier than the measles vaccine was launched, an estimated 48,000 folks had been hospitalized and 400–500 folks died in america every year,” in accordance to the CDC.
