US health secretary supports measles vaccine following 2nd child death

US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., previously known for his vaccine skepticism, publicly supported the measles vaccine on Sunday, following the death of a second child.

"The most effective way to prevent the spread of measles is the MMR vaccine," Kennedy said in a post on X.

The US measles outbreak has claimed the life of a second child in the state of Texas. According to the Texas Department of State Health, the child was unvaccinated and had no previous health issues.

"As of today, there are 642 confirmed cases of measles across 22 states, 499 of those in Texas," Kennedy said.

These deaths from measles are the first in the United States in a decade.

He also said that in early March, he deployed a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention team to assist Texas by providing measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccines and medical supplies, supporting local schools and healthcare facilities, and engaging with communities to address concerns. Since then, "the growth rates for new cases and hospitalizations have flattened," he added.

Kennedy previously made several inaccurate and misleading statements about the safety of the MMR vaccines and downplayed the severity of outbreaks, describing them as "not unusual."