Abdelrahman
Controversy Surrounds Vaccine Disinformation Following Tragic Measles Death in Texas
WASHINGTON — On Wednesday night, Rep. Kim Schrier (D-Wash.) directed sharp criticism at Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for minimizing the unfortunate death of a child during a measles outbreak in Texas. Schrier expressed her belief that Kennedy bears responsibility for this tragedy due to his extensive history of disseminating vaccine misinformation.
Health authorities in Texas confirmed the death of an unvaccinated child in rural West Texas amid an ongoing measles outbreak, marking the first measles-related death in the U.S. since 2015. Measles is known for its high contagion rate but is preventable through vaccination. During a Cabinet meeting on the same day, when asked about the untimely demise of the child, Kennedy remarked that measles outbreaks are "not unusual" and that “we have measles outbreaks every year.”
Schrier, a pediatrician by profession, expressed her shock at Kennedy’s remarks. “His comments are full of, well, you can imagine the four-letter word,” she stated, referring to a word starting with ‘S.’ She further emphasized the devastation of a child’s death from a preventable illness, asserting, “I firmly blame him and others like him who have spent the last two decades spreading falsehoods about vaccines, which are both safe and effective. This is a well-established fact.”
A representative for the Department of Health and Human Services did not respond immediately to requests for comment.
As of Tuesday, the Texas Department of State Health Services reported 124 measles cases since late January, the largest outbreak the state has encountered in nearly three decades. Most cases involve children, with nearly all cases affecting unvaccinated individuals or those with unknown immunization status.
The measles vaccine was first introduced in the 1960s and later combined with mumps and rubella vaccines in the 1970s. The disease was declared eliminated in the U.S. in 2000. However, sporadic outbreaks occur, which Schrier attributes to individuals like Kennedy, who has been known to publicly undermine vaccine credibility numerous times.
Kennedy has propagated the unfounded assertion that vaccines lead to autism, a claim he made again as recently as 2023 during various interviews. In one podcast from that year, he claimed, “There’s no vaccine that is safe and effective.” His past comments also included encouraging healthcare professionals to “resist” guidelines from the CDC regarding childhood vaccinations.
During a 2019 measles epidemic in Samoa, which resulted in the tragic death of 80 children, Kennedy had erroneously suggested that the measles vaccine was linked to those fatalities.
Rep. Schrier stated, “Individuals like him mislead vulnerable parents into questioning vaccine safety. They are exploiting these parents, which directly contributes to tragedies like this child’s death.”
Additionally, Schrier criticized senators who endorsed Kennedy’s appointment as HHS secretary, aware of his long-standing dismissal of scientific consensus regarding vaccine safety. Kennedy was confirmed by a party-line vote, with only one Republican, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), opposing him.
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), a physician and chair of the Senate’s health committee, briefly hesitated before supporting Kennedy, acknowledging concerns about his rhetoric against vaccine safety.
“Every Republican senator who voted to confirm him as secretary of Health and Human Services was aware that this eventuality could arise,” Schrier remarked, referencing the tragic outcome in Texas.
Experts are already expressing concern over Kennedy’s potential influence in his new position, fearing he might further cast doubt on vaccine efficacy. A recent panel meeting of scientific advisors to the FDA, scheduled to discuss upcoming flu vaccines, was unexpectedly canceled, leaving stakeholders perplexed.
Schrier noted that measles is “one of the most contagious diseases” and expressed alarm over the current outbreak, especially as it spreads into states like New Mexico and raises concerns in Louisiana, Cassidy’s home state. “While we’ve seen outbreaks before, this one is substantial, and [Kennedy] has had a role in its escalation,” she asserted.
