WASHINGTON — Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a vocal critic of established vaccines, mentioned on Wednesday that his department is monitoring a measles outbreak that has affected over 100 individuals and led to the death of a child in Texas. Despite this, he downplayed the significance of the resurgence, which comes 25 years after the disease was eradicated in the U.S.
“We are closely monitoring the measles outbreak on a daily basis,” Kennedy stated during President Donald Trump’s recent Cabinet meeting. “Incidentally, there have been four measles outbreaks in the country this year. … So it’s not unusual. We see measles outbreaks annually.”
The death of an unvaccinated child in West Texas, confirmed by state health officials this week, marks the first fatality in the U.S. since 2015.
Reports suggest that Kennedy has had minimal presence at HHS headquarters, has not visited several HHS agencies, and has not reached out to the department’s staff via email. One department official mentioned that Kennedy has not taken any action to address the measles outbreak.
“It appears as though he is still focused on campaigning rather than recognizing his role as the head of a major agency and workforce,” the official commented.
An HHS spokesperson did not respond immediately to a request for comment.
Trump’s choice to appoint Kennedy to head HHS mirrors the president’s complicated stance on pandemic disease, mass vaccination, and a growing skepticism of vaccines within his political base post Covid-19.
There are concerns among GOP strategists that Republican lawmakers could face challenges in the upcoming midterm elections if diseases such as measles, bird flu, or Ebola spread following Kennedy’s appointment and the reduction of efforts to combat these viruses by the Department of Government Efficiency.
“If you’re cutting programs, it raises the risk for issues to arise — you bear responsibility for it,” said a strategist with experience in Republican campaigns. “Perhaps the measles situation is an early warning sign. … This serves as a small example of a potential problem that has real consequences, which is politically risky.”
Senator Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, who supported Kennedy’s confirmation, emphasized the need for the government to closely monitor the public health implications of contagious diseases.
“We should be concerned about any outbreak, particularly measles,” Murkowski stated.
Billionaire Elon Musk, a temporary advisor to the Trump administration, incorrectly claimed on Wednesday that funding for anti-Ebola efforts had been reinstated after it was cut off by the Department of Government Efficiency. The Washington Post later clarified that the funds remained frozen. The cuts by the department, along with Trump’s executive orders pausing certain government operations, complicated the response to an avian flu outbreak that has led to a surge in egg prices and poses risks to public health. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced this week that the department is allocating up to $1 billion to combat the economic and health impacts of the disease.
Many political analysts
The economic losses stemmed from stay-at-home guidelines, leading to Congress and Trump allocating trillions of dollars, later bolstered by a significant Biden stimulus package, to avert economic collapse. Concurrently, Trump initiated Operation Warp Speed, a successful push for expedited vaccine development. However, some Trump supporters were displeased with federal guidelines and stricter state-level business closures, as well as expressing doubts about vaccine efficacy and safety. Trump’s enthusiasm for the vaccine waned during his 2024 campaign. Subsequently, Kennedy withdrew from the race and endorsed Trump. Since taking office, Trump has prohibited Covid vaccine mandates in schools and reinstated military personnel dismissed for vaccine refusal under Biden. Trump has adopted a position opposing vaccine mandates while not banning immunizations, affording flexibility as needed. Kennedy, confirmed by a 52-48 vote with only Former Majority Leader Mitch McConnell dissenting, has been vocal against vaccines, particularly the MMR shot, linking them to autism and attributing measles deaths in Samoa to immunizations. Kennedy’s stance diverges from the majority of Americans who support vaccination. Critics have censured Trump for appointing a vaccine skeptic to the Department of Health and Human Services. The blame for vaccine skepticism has also been placed on Dr. Anthony Fauci and President Biden by some Republican lawmakers, deflecting attention from Kennedy’s views. Senator Marshall urged vaccination but pointed out the outbreak in Texas, attributing it to Biden’s policies on undocumented immigrants.
The open border issue became a contentious topic during the 2024 campaign, with Trump frequently portraying Fauci as a villain. Upon assuming the presidency, Trump went on to revoke the security detail that was protecting Fauci. During his confirmation hearings, Kennedy expressed his general support for inoculations but stopped short of endorsing the measles vaccine. Deputy White House press secretary Kush Desai made a statement indicating that the West Wing is pleased with Kennedy’s performance. Desai conveyed that the White House has complete confidence in Secretary Kennedy and his ability to fulfill President Trump’s goal of Making America Healthy Again. This statement was made in an exchange of text messages.
