Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the nation’s health secretary, has recommended the measles vaccine in a rare sit-down interview with CBS News. The recommendation came after his visit to West Texas, where an outbreak had sickened over 500 people and killed two young children.
Kennedy said that while people should get the vaccine, the government should not mandate it. He also raised safety concerns about the shot, citing a lack of safety testing for many products.
The interview was seen as a shift in Kennedy’s stance on vaccines, as he had previously promoted unproven treatments and expressed skepticism about the shots. Medical experts had criticized his handling of the West Texas outbreak, arguing that it hindered efforts to contain the virus.
However, in the CBS interview, Kennedy offered one of his strongest endorsements yet of the measles vaccine. He also acknowledged cuts to state and local public health programs, including a $750,000 grant to researchers at the University of Michigan.
Kennedy’s shift in stance on vaccines has been met with relief from infectious disease experts, who had previously criticized him for not fully endorsing immunization. His comments have also sparked controversy among his vaccine-hesitant supporters.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/09/health/kennedy-offers-qualified-support-for-measles-vaccination.html