ROBERT F. KENNEDY, JR.: Measles outbreak is call to action for all of us
MMR vaccine is crucial to avoiding potentially deadly disease
By Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Fox News
Published March 2, 2025 4:57pm EST
As the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I am deeply concerned about the recent measles outbreak. This situation has escalated rapidly, with the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) reporting 146 confirmed cases since late January 2025, primarily in the South Plains region. Tragically, this outbreak has claimed the life of a school-aged child, the first measles-related fatality in the United States in over a decade.
Measles is a highly contagious respiratory illness with certain health risks, especially to unvaccinated individuals. The virus spreads through direct contact with infectious droplets when an infected person breathes, coughs, or sneezes. Early symptoms include high fever, cough, runny nose, and red, watery eyes, followed by a characteristic body rash. Most cases are mild, but rare complications can be severe, including pneumonia, blindness, and encephalitis. Prior to the introduction of the vaccine in the 1960s, virtually every child in the United States contracted measles. For example, in the United States, from 1953 to 1962, on average there were 530,217 confirmed cases and 440 deaths, a case fatality rate of 1 in 1,205 cases.
The current Texas outbreak has predominantly affected children, with 116 of the 146 cases occurring in individuals under 18 years of age. The DSHS reports that 79 of the confirmed cases involved individuals who had not received the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, while 62 cases had unknown vaccine status. At least five had received an MMR vaccine.
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