What RFK Jr. Has Said About MMR Vaccine After Latest Measles Death

Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., known for his long-standing criticism of vaccines, has publicly voiced support for the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine on social media after the recent death of another Texas child from measles. In the post, he called the MMR shot "the most effective way to prevent the spread of measles," as shared in an April 6 post on X, formerly Twitter. Despite Kennedy's support for the vaccine, he has a record of contradictory statements about vaccine safety. Though Kennedy did not renounce his past claims, the new statement has led to some debate about whether he is recalibrating his stance.

Measles Cases in 2025

Measles cases have surged in several U.S. states in early 2025, sparking public health warnings. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there have been 607 confirmed measles cases in 2025. There have been six outbreaks in 2025, and "93% of confirmed cases (567 of 607) are outbreak-associated", the CDC said. The disease had previously been declared eliminated in the United States in 2000. Vaccination rates for MMR have also declined, per the CDC. Vaccines among U.S. kindergartners dropped from 95 percent during the 2019–2020 school year to 92 percent in the 2023–2024 school year.

Who was the second child who died from measles?

Kennedy's statement followed confirmation of a second pediatric measles fatality in Texas amid the broader national uptick in cases. In Gaines County, Texas, 8-year-old Daisy Hildebrand died at a hospital in Lubbock on Sunday. According to records obtained by The New York Times, she died of "measles pulmonary failure." Her death is the second confirmed fatality from measles in a decade in the U.S. Public health officials have noted that the child who died in Texas had not been vaccinated. NYT reported that Kennedy attended the funeral of the girl to comfort the family.

The health secretary referenced his visitation to the area in the lengthy post on X. "As the father of seven children, I understand the gravity of losing a child," he wrote. "My heart breaks for this family."

What Has RFK Jr. Said About Vaccines?

Kennedy has cast some doubt on the safety of vaccines, including the MMR shot. But in several interviews throughout 2025, he's advocated for the dissemination of accurate information about vaccines and encouraged people to make an educated choice. In a March 11 interview with Fox's Sean Hannity, RFK Jr. spoke about the MMR vaccine, stating that "there are adverse events from the vaccine." He said that it does cause deaths every year. "It causes — it causes all the illnesses that measles itself causes: encephalitis and blindness, et cetera. And so, people ought to be able to make that choice for themselves. What we need to do is give them the best information and encourage them to vaccinate. The vaccine does stop the spread of the disease." In the past, he has promoted a debunked claim that generally linked vaccines to autism. In a now-deleted article co-published in 2005 by Rolling Stone and Salon, he claimed that the mercury-based thimerosal compound, which was present in vaccines until 2001, was linked to the "epidemic of childhood neurological disorders." Thimerosal was added to vials of vaccine to prevent the growth of germs and bacteria, but it is mostly no longer used in vaccines given to children. Per the CDC, research does not show any link between thimerosal in vaccines and autism. Further, it states that there is no evidence of harm caused by the low doses of thimerosal in vaccines. During RFK Jr.'s confirmation hearing for health secretary, he said: "News reports have claimed that I am anti-vaccine or anti-industry. I am neither. I am pro-safety." He added that all of his kids are vaccinated. In a November 6, 2024, interview with NPR, RFK Jr. said he was not taking vaccines away, but said: "We are going to make sure that Americans have good information right now. The science on vaccine safety particularly has huge deficits, and we're going to make sure those scientific studies are done and that people can make informed choices about their vaccinations and their children's vaccinations." On March 2 of this year, RFK Jr. published an op-ed on FoxNews where he said healthcare providers, community leaders, and policymakers should make vaccines readily accessible for those who want them. "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 wrote. In his April 6 post described MMR as "the most effective way to prevent the spread of measles" and noted that he's pushed CDC officials to bolster local and state capacity for response across Texas. This includes supplying pharmacies and running clinics with MMR vaccines and other medical supplies, he said.

What's Next

Some experts are not sold on Kennedy's previous actions. In an article from 6ABC, Dr. Paul Offit, the director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Philadelphia Children's Hospital, said that Kennedy's response to the measles outbreak has been "abysmal" and pointed to his history of decrying vaccines. Global measles activity is on the rise per the CDC, meaning there are more chances of an unvaccinated person infected with measles abroad entering the U.S. The CDC advises individuals to speak with their healthcare provider about the MMR vaccine.