WSJ asks Kennedy to cast aside 'antivax hooey' amid Texas measles outbreak

The Wall Street Journal's editorial board published an op-ed Monday calling on Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to set aside his anti-vaccine activist positions in light of the nearly 50 measles cases that have been confirmed among mostly unvaccinated children in Texas.

"We are on record as skeptical of RFK Jr.’s nomination. The Senate confirmed him. Now the best-case scenario would be for Mr. Kennedy to internalize that he is no longer an activist outsider who needs to take provocative potshots to get attention," the Journal's editorial board wrote.

As of last week, 48 children in the South Plains region of Texas have confirmed cases of measles, and 13 have been hospitalized. The disease is so transmissible that up to 9 out of 10 people who come into contact someone with measles can be infected, according to the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases.

According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, all the children who have been infected are either unvaccinated or have unconfirmed vaccination statuses. The department has stated "additional cases are likely" due to how contagious measles is.

"The tragedy is that this doesn’t have to keep happening. In 2000 measles was declared eliminated from the U.S., meaning 12 months with no continuous spread," the Journal's op-ed read.

"Yet for some people, the reality of measles feels like a sepia-toned history lesson, whereas the antivax hooey featured on podcasts these days sounds current," the Journal added. "RFK Jr., an environmental lawyer by trade, has long been part of the problem, and at his Senate confirmation hearings he presented himself as just asking questions, man. That undersells his role in spreading doubt and confusion."

The op-ed additionally noted the falling vaccination rates among kindergarteners in recent years. All states and D.C. require vaccinations for school attendance, but exceptions are often permitted. During the 2023-2024 school year, vaccination coverage among U.S. kindergarteners fell to 92.7 percent when it came to the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine.

Federal health authorities have long maintained a “Healthy People 2030” target of achieving 95 percent MMR immunization coverage. This level of coverage is considered ideal for maintaining herd immunity in a population.

Whether this aim for vaccine coverage will continue now remains unclear as Kennedy, a longtime vaccine skeptic, has signaled he will prioritize work on chronic illnesses as opposed to infectious disease.

The Hill has reached out to the HHS for comment on the Journal's op-ed.

Topics

Measles outbreak expands in West Texas

At least two dozen cases of measles have been reported in a West Texas county with one of the highest rates of vaccine exemptions in the state. All of the confirmed cases there involve unvaccinated ...
CBS News - Feb. 12
Measles Outbreak Hits Town in Texas

As of Tuesday, 22 children and two adults had been infected, all of whom were unvaccinated, local officials said.
The New York Times - Feb. 12
Measles outbreak in Texas raises concerns

Officials have confirmed 48 measles cases, most of them in Gaines County, Texas. According to the CDC, cases have also been found this year in four other states and New Mexico's health department ...
CBS News - 3d
Measles outbreak sickens dozens of kids in Texas

Multiple outbreaks of the measles have been reported so far this year, with one outbreak in Texas ballooning from six cases to 48 in just over a week.
The Hill - 5d
Measles outbreak in Texas rises to 48 cases and counting

A measles outbreak in Texas has led to 48 confirmed cases, making it the state's worst in nearly 30 years — and local health officials say additional cases are likely to occur.
CBS News - 2d
Measles outbreak in Texas was "completely preventable," disease expert says

As Gaines County, Texas, deals with a measles outbreak, experts are reminding Americans that outbreaks like these can be avoided with available safe and effective vaccines.
CBS News - Feb. 12
Doctor says Texas measles outbreak is "a problem of unvaccinated children"

Health officials are investigating a measles outbreak among 24 patients in West Texas. Vanderbilt University infectious disease professor Dr. William Schaffner joins "The Daily Report" to discuss ...
CBS News - Feb. 12
In rural West Texas, a measles outbreak grows with no end in sight

At least 49 cases of measles, mostly in children, have been confirmed in Gaines County, Texas. Health officials suspect 200 to 300 people may be infected.
NBC News - 5d
Measles outbreak grows bigger in rural Texas, and officials expect more cases

At least 58 new cases of measles have been reported across northwest Texas in recent weeks, state health officials said Tuesday, in a "highly contagious" outbreak that might be linked to lack of ...
NBC News - 1d