Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. touted the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine as the “most effective” way to prevent the spread of measles during a visit to Texas with the family of an 8-year-old girl who died from the disease.
“I came to Gaines County, Texas, today to comfort the Hildebrand family after the loss of their 8-year-old daughter Daisy,” Kennedy said in a post on the social platform X. “My intention was to come down here quietly to console the families and to be with the community in their moment of grief.”
Kennedy said he offered Texas health officials the federal government’s resources and touted the MMR vaccine.
“The most effective way to prevent the spread of measles is the MMR vaccine,” Kennedy wrote in his post. “I’ve spoken to Governor Abbott, and I’ve offered HHS’ continued support. At his request, we have redeployed CDC teams to Texas. We will continue to follow Texas’ lead and to offer similar resources to other affected jurisdictions.”
The reported death in Texas would be the second in the United States from measles since 2015. The New York Times reported that the child died early Thursday morning of “measles pulmonary failure” and said the Texas hospital confirmed the child was unvaccinated and did not have any underlying health conditions.
The first child to die from the outbreak was in late February. At the time, Kennedy, who has a history of vaccine skepticism, appeared to downplay concerns about the significance of the outbreak.
“We are following the measles epidemic every day,” Kennedy said at the time. “Incidentally, there have been four measles outbreaks this year in this country. Last year, there were 16. So it’s not unusual, we have measles outbreaks every year.”
Kennedy has also faced criticism for his response to the outbreak, with some arguing he has not been sufficiently vocal about the efficacy and safety of the vaccine.
