Recent remarks from Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in support of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine have provoked strong opposition from anti-vaccination groups. Kennedy made his statements following a conversation with Gaines County, Texas, families whose children recently died from measles infection in the latest outbreak.
According to Kennedy’s X-tweet, the MMR vaccine is the most effective way to prevent measles transmission. Through his official directive, Kennedy instructed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to supply Texas-based clinics and pharmacies with the necessary vaccine doses and health resources.
Kennedy supports established research-based medical evidence in his statement. Dr. Paul Offit of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia stated the MMR vaccine provides 93% protection from measles through one dose yet expands to 97% protection when patients receive their second dose. The Texas Department of State Health Services showed that among 481 MMR cases reported through April 4, only 10 involved individuals who had received at least one vaccine dose. During this outbreak, unvaccinated people lost their lives as three individuals, including two Texas children and an adult from New Mexico, died.
Dr. Kathryn Edwards supported Kennedy’s comments because she worked as a pediatric infectious disease specialist before retirement. She noted that the vaccination message remains important even though the timing may not have been optimal.
Prominent anti-vaccine figures expressed explosive anger toward Kennedy’s declaration, while these opponents had formerly supported his past political goals. Dr. Sherri Tenpenny questioned the validity of Kennedy’s message since she remains a prominent critic against vaccinations despite making extreme statements about the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Del Bigtree, who leads the opposition against vaccines and co-founded MAHA Action alongside Kennedy, expressed concerns about the potentially incomplete nature of the post. During the interview, Kennedy distributed baseless hypotheses about autism-vaccination relationships and promoted his self-produced documentary.
Medical board investigations led Texas physician Dr. Mary Talley Bowden to express dismay about Kennedy’s altered approach toward vaccines. The public backed Kennedy because he directly challenged the accepted medical guidelines of the time. Through X, she expressed that the shift in Kennedy’s approach felt directionless to his followers. Bowden supported ivermectin treatment, while Kennedy took a stance similar to that of opposing vaccine mandates in the previous pandemic era.
According to her interview, Kennedy gained popularity because he questioned the authorities’ COVID-19 management approach. Kennedy offered to discuss pandemic errors, whereas Biden and Trump refused to address them, according to Bowden. Bowden identified Kennedy’s defensive position on MMR as a replica of the rigid medical leadership he originally condemned. The current position Kennedy adopts demonstrates substantial evolution from his previous stands.
Kennedy served as the leader of the Children’s Health Defense, which gained notoriety due to its opposition to vaccination regulations. The organization tried and failed to fight against New York vaccine requirements for school kids during a measles outbreak in 2019. According to Kennedy’s 2023 podcast discussion with Joe Rogan, the lifetime death rate from measles was already low in 1963 before the vaccine’s availability. He suggested that malnutrition stood as the key factor behind all deaths, but he offered no evidence to support his claims.
Kennedy has occasionally expressed recognition of the positive aspects of vaccines during his time in his current position. In a March 2 opinion article for Fox News, he emphasized the importance of vaccines in protecting both personnel and communities. In his latest comments, Kennedy continued to state that vitamin A provides substantial protection against measles mortality. Medical expert Dr. Offit demonstrates that vitamin A intake has no meaningful impact on disease outcomes in developed nations and that high doses can lead to liver damage. Medical reports revealed Vitamin A poisoning incidents affecting children in West Texas facilities because of misinterpreted information.
The Health Department has provided no official explanation about Kennedy’s rationale for backing the MMR vaccine at that point in time. The medical expert community considered his promoted treatments ineffective in preventing measles cases. Dr. Offit endorsed vaccinations yet predicted the outbreak would continue to deteriorate, considering the circumstances were both tragic and avoidable.
References: Brumfiel G. Health secretary RFK Jr. endorses the MMR vaccine — stoking fury among his supporters. NPR. Published April 7, 2025. https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2025/04/07/nx-s1-5354900/hhs-rfk-endorses-mmr-measles-vaccine-stoking-supporters-fury
