Kennedy changes stance, recommends measles vaccination for children

The United States Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., appears to have temporarily changed his stance against vaccines, suggesting that parents consider vaccinating their children to address the ongoing severe measles epidemic in Texas.

Kennedy wrote a column for Fox News on Sunday, March 2, titled “Measles outbreak is call to action for all of us,” with the subtitle “MMR vaccine is crucial to avoiding potentially deadly disease.”

In his article, he discussed the measles epidemic in the United States and the history of MMR vaccine administration, highlighting the positive impact vaccines have had.

Kennedy stated, “Vaccines not only protect individual children from measles infection, but also promote community immunity, protecting those who cannot receive vaccines for medical reasons.”

However, Kennedy also emphasized that the decision to vaccinate is a “personal choice.”

Kennedy has long been skeptical of vaccines, which has led to controversy over his role as Secretary of Health and Human Services before being confirmed by the U.S. Senate. However, in this article on Sunday, he appears to have temporarily changed his position on vaccines.

Currently, the measles epidemic in Texas has spread to several surrounding states. According to the Texas Department of Health Services, nearly 150 measles cases have been reported in West Texas since January.

In late February, a school-age child died at a pediatric hospital in western Texas, marking the first measles death in the United States in a decade. The child had not been vaccinated.

Following this tragic event, Kennedy described the epidemic as “severe” and outlined the response measures being taken by the Department of Health and Human Services, including providing MMR vaccines to the Texas Health Department.

In his column on Sunday, Kennedy wrote, “Ending the measles epidemic is a top priority.”