Health experts wary as US health secretary fails to endorse effective vaccines and instead calls them a ‘personal choice’

Summary

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. sparked backlash after writing a Fox News op-ed emphasizing vitamin A and nutrition, rather than vaccines, for measles treatment amid a Texas outbreak that killed one unvaccinated child.

Medical experts condemned his approach as “dangerous and ineffective.” The outbreak has infected 146 people, primarily in unvaccinated communities.

Senator Elizabeth Warren demanded Kennedy clarify his “intentions” for vaccine policy, citing his concerning actions including canceling meetings of disease experts and halting vaccine development contracts.

Kennedy previously led Children’s Health Defense, a major source of anti-vaccine misinformation.

  • @TheFrogThatFliesEnglish
    6•8 hours ago

    I think this article is a bit sensationalist if the text they’re referring to is this https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/robert-f-kennedy-jr-measles-outbreak-call-action-all-us

    Title and subtitle:

    ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR.: Measles outbreak is call to action for all of us

    MMR vaccine is crucial to avoiding potentially deadly disease

    Includes this in the initial text:

    Measles is a highly contagious respiratory illness with certain health risks, especially to unvaccinated individuals.

    This is the text prior to the vitamins mention:

    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.

    He does defend that vaccine is a personal choice, which is not ideal for someone in his position, but he underlines that this will also increase the risk for those that can’t be vaccinated (eg allergies).

    And finally he does create some deception and opens the door to doubt with:

    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 linked graph clearly shows no change in average deaths by 1960 and change only happens done years after. Healthy habits will for sure make you better prepared to fight off infections, but it is still better to be vaccinated. This is clearly a false and problematic piece of text, but is by no means the focus of the overall opinion piece.

    Still don’t trust him, though!

    • @myfavouritenameEnglish
      5•7 hours ago

      Thank you for looking at the primary material and using your own judgement, instead of just reading headlines. Thank you also for coming back here and writing about what you discovered. You’ve made this little slice of the internet a better place, and I appreciate that.