Robert F Kennedy Jr.
Credit: Reuters File Photo
Robert F Kennedy Jr, the nation’s health secretary, on Sunday attended the funeral of an 8-year-old girl who died of measles amid an outbreak that has burned through the region and called into question his ability to handle the crisis.
The child’s death, at a hospital in Lubbock, Texas, early Thursday, is just the second confirmed fatality from measles in a decade in the United States.
The child died of “measles pulmonary failure,” according to records obtained by The New York Times. The hospital, part of UMC Health System, confirmed the death Sunday and said the girl was unvaccinated and had no underlying health conditions.
“My intention was to come down here quietly to console the families and to be with the community in their moment of grief,” Kennedy said in a message posted on X, formerly Twitter.
“The most effective way to prevent the spread of measles is the MMR vaccine,” he added.
The first death in the West Texas outbreak was an unvaccinated child who died in February. Another unvaccinated person died in New Mexico after testing positive for measles, though officials have not confirmed that measles was the cause of death.
Since the outbreak began in late January, West Texas has reported 480 cases of measles and 56 hospitalizations. The outbreak has also spread to bordering states, sickening 54 people in New Mexico and 10 in Oklahoma.
If the virus continues to spread at this pace, the country risks losing its measles elimination status, a hard-fought victory earned in 2000. Public health officials in West Texas have predicted the outbreak will continue for a year.
Shortly after the 8-year-old’s death, a prominent figure in the anti-vaccine community blamed the death on the hospital, which he claimed had “improperly medically managed” the case.
Children’s Health Defense, an anti-vaccine group that Kennedy helped establish years before he became health secretary, also claimed that a “medical error” at a different hospital in Lubbock had led to the state’s first measles death.
These claims incensed experts, who emphasized that the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine is extremely effective at preventing measles infections and their complications.
Kennedy has faced strong criticism for his handling of the outbreak. A prominent vaccine skeptic, he has offered muted support for vaccination and has emphasized untested measles treatments, like cod liver oil.