Since the end of January, there has been a measles outbreak in West Texas and now New Mexico. This week, an unvaccinated child in Texas died of measles. According to news reports, the school-age child is from a largely Mennonite area of the state. Mennonites usually favor religious exemptions for vaccinations. While measles outbreaks are not new, this is the largest one in Texas in the last 30 years. Combine that with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as health and human services secretary, and it’s more concerning than usual. 

The sad fact is that this child’s death was a preventable one. The measles vaccine has been around since 1963. Before that time, there were approximately 2.6 million deaths worldwide each year from the disease. That number has dramatically decreased. Now, affected areas are those with low vaccination rates. The vaccine itself is highly effective.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “One dose of MMR vaccine is 93% effective against measles. Two doses of MMR vaccine are 97% effective against measles.” In the more than 60 years since its inception, the MMR vaccine has saved countless lives. And its longevity contributes to some not taking measles seriously. Dr. Paul Offit of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia suggests: “We’ve eliminated the memory of measles. I don’t think people remember how sick that can make you.” 

During a Cabinet meeting at the White House, President Donald Trump passed a question about the measles outbreak to Kennedy. Kennedy admitted a total of two people have died but was quick to downplay the concerns, saying, “We are following the measles epidemic every day. It’s not unusual; we have measles outbreaks every year.” He is not wrong in saying there are outbreaks each year. But the number of those infected last year, with all 16 outbreaks, totaled 285 cases. So far, the number of those infected this year already totaled 124 cases as of Feb. 26. 

There is a conspicuous lack of encouragement from Kennedy for people in Texas, New Mexico, or elsewhere around the country to get the MMR vaccine. Considering the vaccine’s efficacy, availability, and safety, doing so should be the first line of defense. But this would be out of character for Kennedy, who is well known for his distrust of vaccines. Kennedy’s opposition to the MMR vaccine is based on his belief that it causes autism.

Kennedy founded the organization Children’s Health Defense, whose site publishes articles like this one discussing the Texas measles outbreak and warns that vaccines, and not preventable childhood diseases, are the “real threat” to children. Never mind the fact that the claim the MMR vaccine causes autism has been debunked numerous times. The argument still exists. And Kennedy has long been a proponent of that falsehood. 

The COVID-19 pandemic did much to foment mistrust of the medical community. Lockdowns and masking are a big part of that skepticism. Operation Warp Speed and the quick development and manufacturing of the vaccines is another. But questions about recently created vaccines are not the same as uncertainty about the MMR vaccine. Not only is it extraordinarily effective and safe, but it has been around for decades. And since the preventable loss of life is a real tragedy, there is every reason to urge its continued use.

FIRST MEASLES DEATH REPORTED IN TEXAS OUTBREAK

Kennedy is about as responsible for this year’s measles outbreaks as he was for last year’s. In other words, he is not to blame for any of the cases. Parents have every opportunity to get their children vaccinated against disease. And since children can’t make that decision on their own, the full responsibility falls on the mothers and fathers.

However, the current political and cultural climate is such that an HHS secretary with a history of anti-vax statements and sentiments is likely to cause real harm. Kennedy may not actively campaign against vaccines while at HHS, though that is still to be determined, but he is certainly downplaying the current outbreak and not using his platform for its greatest good. 

Kimberly Ross (@SouthernKeeks) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog and a contributing freelance columnist at the Freemen News-Letter.