Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently encouraged individuals to receive the measles vaccine while simultaneously making misleading claims about its safety testing and the duration of its protection.
Kennedy, known for his anti-vaccine stance and now overseeing critical federal health agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), refrained from a strong endorsement of measles vaccinations.
He referred to the vaccine as the ‘most effective way’ to halt the spread of the virus, creating confusion about his actual position on vaccination.
In an interview with CBS News, Kennedy remarked that the previous Trump administration had prioritized finding treatments for those who opt out of vaccinations, despite the absence of approved treatments for measles.
Measles is a highly contagious disease that can result in death for nearly 3 out of every 1,000 diagnosed cases.
Medical experts have expressed concerns over Kennedy’s comments regarding the ongoing measles outbreak, particularly his emphasis on unverified treatments and the framing of vaccination as a mere personal choice.
This framing, some healthcare professionals argue, appears to cater to his anti-vaccine supporters.
Kennedy made a controversial statement suggesting that the increase in measles cases in the United States is unavoidable due to diminishing immunity from existing vaccinations, a claim that experts dismiss as unfounded.
‘We’re always going to have measles, no matter what happens, as the vaccine wanes very quickly,’ Kennedy stated.
Contrarily, Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, asserted that two doses of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine offer lasting protection.
He explained that the vaccine prompts the production of memory cells capable of recognizing the virus throughout a person’s lifetime.
‘We eliminated measles from this country. That could never happen if immunity waned,’ Offit noted, emphasizing the rare occurrences of measles outbreaks in the U.S. since the disease was eradicated prior to 2000.
Measles outbreaks have primarily been introduced by international travelers and have spread in communities with lower vaccination rates.
In his interview, Kennedy commented on the federal government’s position regarding vaccinations, stating, ‘my position is people should get the measles vaccine. But the government should not be mandating those.’
However, the federal government does not impose mandatory childhood vaccines; instead, all 50 states enforce vaccine requirements for children attending public schools.
Additionally, the FDA is responsible for approving vaccines based on safety and efficacy, while the CDC determines recommendations for vaccination that states generally adopt.
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, all states have exemptions for medical reasons, and nearly all states offer further exemptions for personal or religious beliefs.
The current measles outbreak has been prominently observed in the predominantly Mennonite community of Gaines County, Texas, where hesitance towards vaccination is prevalent.
Reports indicate there have been 668 cases since January, marking a concerning rise, which includes two pediatric deaths and one suspected death in an unvaccinated adult.
Prior to these incidents, the U.S. had not experienced a measles-related death in a decade, and the last measles death of a child had occurred in 2003.
Kennedy has pointed to significant case numbers in Europe as evidence that the U.S. is appropriately responding to the current outbreak.
However, the figure he has referenced — approximately 127,000 measles cases in Europe — represents the total count from the previous year across 53 countries.
Health experts have noted that lower vaccination rates in certain parts of Europe significantly contributed to the increased case counts.
Dr. William Moss, director of the Johns Hopkins International Vaccine Access Center, criticized Kennedy’s comparisons, stating, ‘We should be comparing measles in the United States this year to measles in the United States in prior years.’
He further pointed out that equating European cases from the previous year to U.S. cases over a mere three-month period is misleading.
This year’s measles count in the U.S. reflects the highest levels since 2019, when a significant outbreak affected Orthodox Jewish communities in New York.
Healthcare professionals express concern that the persistence of anti-vaccine rhetoric could jeopardize the country’s measles elimination status.
Kennedy reiterated his concern during the CBS News interview, saying, ‘Right now we don’t know the risks of many of these products because they’re not safety tested.’
He added that many vaccines undergo testing for only three or four days without a placebo group.
Dr. Ofer Levy, who heads the precision vaccines program at Boston Children’s Hospital, explained that the vaccine development timeline typically spans 10 to 20 years.
The COVID-19 vaccinations were an exception, developed in under a year due to mRNA technology and a concerted global effort.
Levy noted that foundational research on mRNA vaccines dates back to 1997, highlighting that childhood vaccines were approved decades ago without extended placebo-controlled testing.
However, even once approved, various governmental surveillance systems consistently monitor vaccines for adverse reactions.
In instances where adverse effects are detected, vaccines may be withdrawn from the market.
Dr. Moss commented that vaccine clinical trials have evolved, noting that no other product is subject to as rigorous an evaluation for safety and efficacy.
‘What we see in terms of safety signals is monitored continuously,’ he mentioned.
Offit critiqued Kennedy’s claims for lacking a scientific basis, pointing out that his assumption about all childhood vaccines not undergoing placebo testing is factually incorrect.
‘His definition of ‘placebo’ is either water or saline, when that’s not the FDA’s definition,’ Offit explained, clarifying that the FDA’s definition includes something inert.
A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services acknowledged that Kennedy raised pertinent concerns regarding vaccine trial protocols, including the use of active comparators in lieu of inert placebos.
However, medical professionals have stressed the ethical considerations involved in withholding vaccination benefits during clinical trials, leading to reliance on established vaccines for comparison.
Levy concluded by asserting that there is always potential for more extensive safety investigations.
‘I think the secretary is right that we could do more to study vaccine safety,’ he said, while firmly reiterating the importance of vaccines in preventing severe childhood diseases.
image source from：https://www.nbcnews.com/health/kids-health/health-secretary-rfk-jr-measles-vaccine-falsely-claims-wanes-rcna200636
