Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the U.S. health secretary in-waiting, has made a chilling announcement. In the episode, he draws particular attention to the developing measles outbreak in the United States. In a statement, he emphasized, “The most effective way to prevent the spread of measles is the MMR vaccine,” which provides crucial protection against mumps and rubella. Public health officials are sounding the alarm as measles cases skyrocket across the country. That’s not just a conjecture—this latest surge is already causing record hospitalizations and, sadly, deaths.
In the last few months, measles has returned to the United States with a vengeance. Last year, we set a record with more than 605 cases reported in 22 states. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported only 285 cases for all of 2024. Of those, at least 74 people needed to be hospitalized. The tragic outbreak has grown rapidly to 76 infected and already taken three lives. Tragically, two of those victims were very young children from nearby Seminole, Texas, Kayley Fehr and Daisy Hildebrand, who died from measles-related complications.
Kennedy highlighted the importance of vaccination, noting that the MMR vaccine is typically administered to children in two doses—the first between 12 and 15 months of age and the second between ages four and six. It’s been a very powerful vaccine, with extraordinary effectiveness. It has been measured to be 93% effective at preventing measles and 97% effective at preventing mumps. In some communities, vaccine exemptions for school-aged children have increased, helping fuel the outbreak’s spread.
“In my intention was to come down here quietly to console the families and to be with [their] community in their moment of grief,” said Kennedy during his visit to the affected families. His acknowledgment of the tragedy underscores the seriousness of the situation as public health experts warn that without a more aggressive response, the U.S. could face additional measles-related deaths.
The recent outbreak has once again raised fears that vaccination rates have plummeted and their impact on public health preparedness. The CDC had for years declared measles eliminated from the U.S. back in 2000, but it has returned, mostly in the form of outbreaks in undervaccinated communities. Gaines County, which is home to Seminole, has one of the highest rates of vaccine exemptions in Texas. This sobering statistic has largely driven the opioid epidemic that now plagues our nation.
Pete Hildebrand, the father of one of the dead children, voiced concerns about vaccines. His skepticism is rooted in his own experiences. “I know it’s not effective because some family members ended up getting the vaccine, and they got the measles way worse than some of my kids,” he stated. This feeling represents a large, national hesitance towards vaccinations that public health officials are working to overcome.
The U.S. Senate’s health committee is poised to issue a subpoena for Kennedy’s testimony, as soon as Thursday. At the same time, vaccine advocates are urging a reinvigorated focus on vaccination. The MMR vaccine is the most effective way to protect yourself and others from serious illness or death from measles, public health experts say. The infectious respiratory illness has led to severe and sometimes tragic outcomes.