Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Flip-Flops On Measles Vaccine After Death Of Second Child, Accused Of Promoting ‘Quack Doctors’

Baila Eve ZismanApril 11, 2025, 5:37 pmNews >

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the Health and Human Services Secretary, faced backlash for praising anti-vax doctors while at the funeral of their second child, who died from measles.

The measles, mumps and rubella vaccine have been safely used for over 60 years and is 97% effective against measles after two doses.

The unvaccinated eight-year-old girl is the second death from West Texas’ rapidly spreading measles outbreak. Her parents have shared that they do not regret their decision not to vaccinate, and their daughter is “in a better place” now.

Kennedy Jr. has long been a strong advocate for the anti-vax movement.

In a lengthy post to X on Sunday, Kennedy wrote, “I came to Gaines County, Texas, today to comfort the Hildebrand family after the loss of their 8-year-old daughter Daisy. I got to know the family of 6-year-old Kayley Fehr after she passed away in February.

“I also developed bonds with and deep affection for other members of this community during that difficult time. My intention was to come down here quietly to console the families and to be with the community in their moment of grief.

“I am also here to support Texas health officials and to learn how our HHS agencies can better partner with them to control the measles outbreak, which as of today, there are 642 confirmed cases of measles across 22 states, 499 of those in Texas.

“The most effective way to prevent the spread of measles is the MMR vaccine.”

However, just hours following this post admitting that vaccines are the most reliable treatment for measles, Kennedy Jr. praised the “extraordinary healers” Dr. Ben Edwards and Richard Bartlett, both of whom are known to promote medicine over vaccines. His contradictory comments have inspired a slew of criticism from physicians and health officials, among many others.

Dr. Benjamen Mazer of Johns Hopkins Medicine said, “The Health Secretary is promoting quack doctors in the midst of a measles outbreak and literally nothing was more predictable.”

Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana), whose vote helped Kennedy Jr.’s confirmation, called for health officials to give accurate information, writing on X, “Everyone should be vaccinated! There is no treatment for measles. No benefit to getting measles… Top health officials should say so unequivocally b/4 another child dies.”