It was a first test for Robert F. Kennedy Jr. after calling the measles epidemic raging in Texas "not unusual," earned him a torrent of criticism. Known for his hostility to compulsory vaccination, Donald Trump's health secretary appeared to be moderating his stance, as the epidemic claimed a life in the US, the first since 2005.

At Trump's first cabinet meeting on February 26, the new health minister had been asked about the measles epidemic that had just claimed the life of a six-year-old child, one of some 146 people – 116 under 18 – affected by the virus in Texas, particularly in the evangelical Mennonite community of Gaines County in the western part of the state. "We have measles outbreaks every year," he downplayed it.

Two days later, on February 28, in a post on the social media network X, "RFK Jr.," an environmental lawyer with no medical training, corrected the record. "I recognize the serious impact of this outbreak on families, children, and healthcare workers," he wrote. Then, "The measles outbreak in Texas is a call to action for all of us to reaffirm our commitment to public health."

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