RFK Jr. visits Texas as 2nd child dies from measles

Robert Kennedy Jr. in Seminole, Texas, at measles funeral

RFK Jr.'s 'endorsement of alternative treatments has contributed to patients' delaying critical care'

(Image credit: AP Photo / Annie Rice)

published 7 April 2025

What happened

An unvaccinated 8-year-old girl in Texas died of measles on Thursday, state health officials said Sunday. She was the second child to die from the vaccine-preventable disease in a growing outbreak in Texas and nearby states, after a decade of no recorded U.S. measles deaths. Health Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. visited Seminole, Texas, Sunday to attend the girl's funeral and "console the families" and community, he said in a post on X that also backed the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine he has long criticized.

Kennedy's "about-face" on the MMR vaccine "vexed" Trump supporters who cheered his confirmation because of his long history of vaccine skepticism, Politico said. But Kennedy has taken "more pro-vaccine public health positions in prepared remarks than in his long-form interviews," The Washington Post said. His public "endorsement of alternative treatments has contributed to patients' delaying critical care and ingesting toxic levels of vitamin A," The New York Times said.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.