Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has sparked outrage among anti-vaccine activists after endorsing the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. In a recent social media post, Kennedy stated that the MMR vaccine is the most effective way to prevent the spread of measles.
Kennedy’s endorsement aligns with scientific evidence on the MMR vaccine, which has been shown to be highly effective in preventing illness. According to Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia, a single dose of the MMR vaccine is roughly 93% effective at preventing illness, and the second dose gets that up to 97%.
Despite this, several anti-vaccine activists have expressed outrage over Kennedy’s endorsement. Dr. Mary Talley Bowden, a Texas-based physician, claimed that Kennedy was “parroting” the medical establishment and that his statement was “poorly worded.” Del Bigtree, another prominent anti-vaccine activist, questioned Kennedy’s decision to endorse the vaccine, suggesting that it had been “cut off” from its original post.
Kennedy’s endorsement also contradicts years of his own vaccine skepticism. In 2023, he denied that the measles vaccine had led to a drop in deaths, claiming that malnutrition was the root cause of measles deaths.
The health secretary has previously expressed support for alternative therapies, including “aerosolized budesonide and clarithromycin,” which have been discredited by medical professionals. Dr. Paul Offit warned that these treatments are “valueless” and may even be harmful.
Despite Kennedy’s endorsement, experts warn that the measles outbreak is unlikely to be controlled without increased vaccination efforts. Measles was eliminated in the US in 2000, but it is killing children again, with three unvaccinated individuals dying from the disease as of April 4.
Source: https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2025/04/07/nx-s1-5354900/hhs-rfk-endorses-mmr-measles-vaccine-stoking-supporters-fury