In an opinion piece published in Fox News, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wrote that he was “deeply concerned” about the measles outbreak in Texas.
Citing health data, Kennedy wrote that “79 of the confirmed cases involved individuals who had not received the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, while 62 cases had unknown vaccine status. At least five had received an MMR vaccine.”
He went on to declare that it is the department’s responsibility to “provide up-to-date guidance on available therapeutic medications,” noting that vitamin A can reduce measles mortality.
“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 wrote, going on to explain that sanitation and nutrition improvements have “eliminated 98% of measles deaths.”
RFK Jr. then reiterated that good nutrition, including diets rich in vitamins A, B12, C, D, and E, are the “best defense against most chronic and infectious illnesses.”
Kennedy noted that the measles outbreak serves as a “call to action for all of us to reaffirm our commitment to public health.”
American Faith reported that Texas health officials confirmed last week that the number of measles cases in the state has surged to 146, marking the largest outbreak in nearly three decades.
Upon announcing the child’s death, health officials did not provide information about the minor’s health status, sex, age, or medical history. Information relating to any treatments the child underwent was also absent from the announcement. Health officials only shared that the child was “school-aged” and “not vaccinated.”
