Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has directed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to develop treatments for measles using existing drugs combined with vitamins and other modalities.
This move comes after Kennedy downplayed the threat of measles and made misleading claims about the safety of vaccines in recent days. He has previously promoted alternative treatments, including vitamin A and inhaled steroid budesonide, which experts have deemed unproven and risky.
The CDC will work with universities to develop protocols, conduct testing, and pursue approval for new uses of safe and effective therapeutics that meet high scientific standards. The agency will continue to recommend vaccines as the most effective way to prevent measles.
However, Kennedy’s views on vaccines are not an isolated issue. His skepticism towards the medical establishment has been a hallmark of his public persona, and experts fear he may target other areas, such as antidepressants, ADHD medication, and mRNA technology.
Kennedy’s recent comments on autism have also raised concerns about his commitment to scientific rigor and accurate conclusions. He has pledged to identify the cause of autism by September, but critics say this timeline is stoked deep suspicion in the public health community.
Many experts, including vaccine scientist Peter Hotez, have expressed alarm at Kennedy’s views, describing them as “unhinged” and “pseudoscientific.” The Children’s Health Defense, an anti-vaccine group founded by Kennedy, has published a book that contradicts established scientific evidence on various health topics.
Source: https://www.axios.com/2025/05/02/kennedy-cdc-alternative-measles-treatments