Health Secretary RFK Jr. Backs the MMR Vaccine — Sparking Outrage Among His Supporters

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s endorsement of the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine has sparked significant backlash from anti-vaccine groups.

"The most effective way to prevent the spread of measles is the MMR vaccine," Kennedy stated in a post on X (formerly Twitter), following a meeting with families in Gaines County, Texas, who had recently lost children to measles during an outbreak. He also mentioned that he had instructed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to supply pharmacies and Texas-run clinics with the necessary MMR vaccines and other medical supplies.

As of now, the Texas Department of State Health Services has confirmed the deaths of two children and one adult, all unvaccinated, linked to the ongoing measles outbreak in the state and neighboring New Mexico.

Kennedy’s endorsement is consistent with established scientific consensus. According to Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, a single dose of the MMR vaccine is approximately 93% effective, and the second dose raises that to 97%. As of April 4, only 2% of measles cases in Texas were in individuals who were partially or fully vaccinated. The other 98% were unvaccinated, and three deaths from the disease have occurred.

Dr. Kathryn Edwards, a retired professor of pediatric infectious diseases, expressed support for Kennedy's endorsement, saying, “It’s better late than never,” despite having hoped for such a statement much earlier.

However, Kennedy’s vaccine endorsement has incited strong opposition from members of the anti-vaccine community. Dr. Sherri Tenpenny, an outspoken anti-vaccine activist, criticized Kennedy’s statement, dismissing it as “poorly worded.” Del Bigtree, another anti-vaccine figure who co-founded MAHA Action with Kennedy, also expressed doubts about the health secretary’s support of the MMR vaccine, suggesting that Kennedy’s message had been “cut off.”

Dr. Mary Talley Bowden, a Texas-based physician who opposes COVID vaccines, accused Kennedy of abandoning his prior anti-establishment stance, claiming that voters supported him for his challenge to the medical system, not for echoing mainstream medical opinions.

Kennedy’s current position contradicts his previous vaccine skepticism. In the past, as the former chair of the Children’s Health Defense (a non-profit known for its anti-vaccine views), Kennedy opposed vaccine mandates and even attempted to sue New York state during a measles outbreak in 2019. He had previously questioned the effectiveness of the measles vaccine in reducing mortality, claiming that malnutrition, not the vaccine, was the primary cause of deaths during outbreaks.

Despite these contradictions, Kennedy has occasionally acknowledged the benefits of vaccines in his new role. He wrote in a recent op-ed, “Vaccines not only protect individual children from measles, but also contribute to community immunity, protecting those who are unable to be vaccinated due to medical reasons.”

Kennedy also introduced alternative therapies, such as aerosolized budesonide and clarithromycin, in his posts, which raised further concerns among medical experts. Dr. Offit dismissed these treatments as “valueless,” pointing out that they are not appropriate for treating measles or its complications.

As the measles outbreak continues, experts like Dr. Offit express grave concern over the situation, emphasizing that the ongoing crisis is a direct result of inadequate vaccination coverage. “Measles was eliminated in the U.S. in 2000, but it’s killing children again,” Offit lamented.