Allow us to contemplate, for a painful second, this truth: The absurdly unqualified head of the U.S. Division of Well being and Human Companies sat in a Steak ‘n Shake and instructed, within the midst of a measles outbreak, that getting measles is best than getting a measles vaccine.
Run that scene round in your head a couple of occasions after which settle for that that is actual life in America in 2025.
Longtime anti-vaccine nutter Robert F. Kennedy Jr., by being named the top of well being in America earlier this yr, had already single-handedly destroyed the ideas of logic and customary sense. However munching fast-food fries whereas telling Fox Information nitwit Sean Hannity that the secure, efficient, lifesaving measles vaccine causes “opposed occasions” and “deaths yearly” is a blood-on-your-hands second historical past will keep in mind.
As measles outbreak spreads, Kennedy nonetheless bows to anti-vaxxers
Well being and Human Companies Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is acknowledged as President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress on March 4, 2025.
As of Tuesday, there have been 223 confirmed measles circumstances in Texas, with 29 folks hospitalized and one unvaccinated baby lifeless. New Mexico has 33 confirmed circumstances, most of them alongside the border with Texas. One individual there has died as properly.
New circumstances surfaced this week in Oklahoma and Vermont, and the U.S. Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention has tracked further circumstances in 12 states.
Opinion: I’ve by no means handled a affected person for measles. Now I am afraid which will change.
The measles are spreading rapidly, because the virus tends to do. That’s why we’ve got extremely efficient vaccines.
Aiding this unfold of the illness are folks like Kennedy, who’ve gone to nice lengths to fearmonger about vaccines which can be endorsed by each respected physician and medical group in existence.
Vaccines essential to public well being, not a ‘freedom of alternative’ challenge
Kennedy’s feedback that aired this week on Hannity’s present will definitely not assist. Whereas he continues to assert he’s not “anti-vaccine” ‒ one thing that flies within the face of his previous a long time of malicious mendacity about vaccines ‒ he additionally phrases issues in a manner that enable anti-vaccine folks the wiggle room they should consider the lies they’ve been fed.
For instance, President Donald Trump’s well being chief stated: “I’m a freedom-of-choice individual. We must always have transparency. We must always have knowledgeable alternative. But when folks don’t need it, the federal government shouldn’t power them to do it. There are opposed occasions from the vaccine. It does trigger deaths yearly. It causes all of the sicknesses that measles itself causes.”
That’s a slippery little bit of nonsense.
A protester on the Senate affirmation listening to for nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Jan. 29, 2025.
In accordance with the Infectious Ailments Society of America: “There have been no deaths proven to be associated to the MMR vaccine in wholesome folks. There have been uncommon circumstances of deaths from vaccine negative effects amongst youngsters who’re immune compromised, which is why it is strongly recommended that they don’t get the vaccine.”
Opinion: Measles belongs in historical past books. As a substitute, underneath RFK Jr., it is killing children.
And one of many keys to vaccine efficacy is ensuring sufficient persons are vaccinated, which is why vaccine necessities are a factor.
RFK Jr. makes it sound like life was good earlier than MMR vaccine
Kennedy additionally appeared to lengthy for the great outdated days of measles events and, I suppose, numerous children dying from measles: “It was while you and I have been children, all people received measles. And measles gave you safety, lifetime safety towards measles an infection. The vaccine doesn’t try this. The vaccine is efficient for some folks, for all times, however many individuals it wanes.”
An infographic in regards to the measles virus at a public well being information convention in Austin, Texas, on Feb. 28, 2025.
That’s not what the CDC ‒ which Kennedy now oversees ‒ says in regards to the vaccine: “MMR & MMRV vaccines normally defend folks for all times towards measles.”
And the CDC has pointers for any adults who may want an extra vaccination later in life.
Having an anti-vaccine nut accountable for well being is just not nice
Kennedy did admit the vaccine stops the unfold of measles and stated anybody who needs it ought to get it, however that’s not a ok message from an individual in his place.
Any “vaccines are good” sentiment he delivered whereas doing his bizzaro-world free Steak ‘n Shake commercial with Hannity was watered down with caveats and skepticism that can feed the minds of science skeptics.
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It’s staggering that an unqualified weirdo like Kennedy is within the place he’s in, because of a president who bought out American well being in trade for voters brainwashed by Kennedy’s anti-vaccine babble.
But it surely was a number of steps past staggering to see Kennedy serving to Hannity promote burgers and fries whereas discovering methods to sow vaccine skepticism in a nation the place measles ‒ declared eradicated in the US in 2000 ‒ is making a lethal comeback.
Comply with USA TODAY columnist Rex Huppke on Bluesky at @rexhuppke.bsky.social and on Fb at fb.com/RexIsAJerk
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This text initially appeared on USA TODAY: Kennedy casts doubt on measles vaccine from… Steak n Shake | Opinion