Kennedy calls for vaccination in the face of Texas Measles Outbreak

Robert Kennedy Jr. called on the public to get the MMR vaccine to curb the measles outbreak declared in Texas and that has already claimed the life of a minor who was not vaccinated. The secretary of Health and Human Services also updated the affected figures to 164 people, 134 of them minors.

In an opinion published on Fox News, Kennedy emphasized the high number of unvaccinated (more than half) among those infected: "79 of the confirmed cases involved individuals who had not received the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, while 62 cases had unknown vaccine status. At least five had received an MMR vaccine."

"A personal decision"

Given these figures, Kennedy made an appeal to parents about vaccinating minors, highlighting both the personal and community benefits, while stressing that it is "a personal decision."

"Parents play a pivotal role in safeguarding their children’s health. All parents should consult with their healthcare providers to understand their options to get the MMR vaccine. The decision to vaccinate is a personal one. 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."

Sanitation and nutrition, key against measles

Figures show that "before the introduction of the vaccine in the 1960s, virtually every child in the United States contracted measles. For example, in the United States, from 1953 to 1962, there was an average of 530,217 confirmed cases and 440 deaths, giving a case fatality rate of 1 in 1,205 cases."

However, Kennedy highlighted key factors in the fight against this disease: "Tens of thousands died with, or of, measles annually in 19th Century America. By 1960 -before the vaccine’s introduction- improvements in sanitation and nutrition had eliminated 98% of measles deaths. Good nutrition remains a best defense against most chronic and infectious illnesses. Vitamins A, C, and D, and foods rich in vitamins B12, C, and E should be part of a balanced diet."

The health secretary, in fact, stressed the importance of consuming vitamin A against the disease: "While there is no approved antiviral for those who may be infected, CDC has recently updated their recommendation supporting administration of vitamin A under the supervision of a physician for those with mild, moderate, and severe infection. Studies have found that vitamin A can dramatically reduce measles mortality."

Kennedy closes his article with a call for all parties involved to work together to end this outbreak and prevent future ones, always under the fundamental premise of transparency: "The measles outbreak in Texas is a call to action for all of us to reaffirm our commitment to public health. Working together, parents, health professionals, community leaders and government officials, we can prevent future outbreaks and protect our nation's health. Under my leadership, HHS is and will always be committed to radical transparency to regain the public's trust in its health agencies."