Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. once again spread misleading claims about the safety and efficacy of the measles vaccine amid an outbreaks in Texas and New Mexico.
In an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity broadcast Tuesday, Kennedy said “natural immunity” after getting a measles infection is more effective at providing lasting protection against the disease. However, Kennedy left out that the dangers of catching the disease outweigh the advantage of immunity, according to doctors.
“It used to be when you and I were kids, everybody got measles,” Kennedy told Hannity. “And measles gave you protection, lifetime protection against measles infection. The vaccine doesn’t do that. The vaccine is effective for some people, for life, but many people it wanes.”
Despite Kennedy’s claims, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the majority of people who have had the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) and the measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella (MMRV) vaccines will be protected for life. The CDC also has guidance for people it recommends should be revaccinated.
Prior to the introduction of the vaccine in 1963, about 500,000 cases and 500 measles deaths were reported annually, while the real number of cases was suspected to be much higher, the agency said. Since then, incidence of the disease has fallen by over 95%, it said.
Kennedy added that he would make sure that “anybody who wants a vaccine can get one,” noting that he is against forcing people to take it.
“I’m a freedom of choice person,” Kennedy said. “We should have transparency. We should have informed choice. And — but if people don’t want it, the government shouldn’t force them to do it. There are adverse events from the vaccine. It does cause deaths every year. It causes all the illnesses that measles itself cause.”
The CDC has stressed the measles vaccine is safe and effective. Its website lists extensive information about the vaccine, including potential side effects and warnings for people who shouldn’t get vaccinated.
Kennedy’s skepticism around vaccines is well-documented. Even he, though, conceded the measles vaccine “does stop the spread of the disease.”
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The U.S. has seen three measles outbreaks since the start of the year, including one in the South Plains region of Texas. Some 223 cases have been reported since late January, the Texas Department of State Health Services said Tuesday, including one fatality in a school-age girl who wasn’t vaccinated.
In a separate recent interview with Fox News, Kennedy, without evidence, said malnutrition and lack of access to fresh foods “may have been an issue in her death.”
New Mexico is also confronting a measles outbreak with 33 total cases. An adult who was infected with the disease in the state died last week, though the virus has not yet been confirmed as the official cause of death.