During a rare sit-in interview with CBS News, National Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recommended getting a measles vaccine and stated that he was “unfamiliar” with reducing state and local public health programs.
The conversation took place after a visit to West Texas, where he attended the funeral of an eight-year-old girl who succumbed to measles. An intense outbreak in the area has resulted in over 500 illnesses and the deaths of two young children.
In a clip from the interview released on Wednesday, Kennedy emphasized the importance of the measles vaccine. He stated, “People should receive the measles vaccine, but the government shouldn’t mandate it.”
However, he also expressed concerns about the safety of the vaccine, as he has done previously.
Kennedy has been heavily criticized for his handling of the West Texas outbreak by health professionals who believe that lack of full support for vaccinations is hindering efforts to control the virus.
Additionally, he has promoted unproven treatments for measles like cod liver oil. Physicians in Texas have linked its use to signs of liver toxicity in some children admitted to local hospitals.
Throughout the outbreak, Kennedy has often combined his support for vaccines with discussions about safety concerns and an alternative “miraculous” treatment.
Recently, he took to social media to declare that measles, mumps, and rubella vaccines are the “most effective way” to prevent the spread of measles. This statement has relieved infectious disease experts but angered vaccine opponents.
That evening, he posted again, this time praising “two extraordinary healers” who claim to have successfully treated around 300 children with measles using antibiotics.
Scientists argue that there is no cure for measles and promoting alternative treatments undermines the importance of vaccination.
In a CBS interview, Kennedy was questioned about the recent suspension of over $12 billion in federal grants to state programs addressing infectious diseases, mental health, and childhood vaccinations.
(The cuts were temporarily blocked after a lawsuit was filed by a state coalition against the Trump administration.)
Kennedy claimed to be unaware of the suspension and suggested it was primarily aimed at cutting diversity, equity, and inclusion programs targeted by the administration.
Dr. Jonathan Lapook, a medical correspondent for CBS, inquired about specific research cuts at universities, including a $750,000 grant for diabetes research in adolescents at the University of Michigan.
Kennedy responded, “I was not aware of that, and that’s what we’re seeing. There were many research projects that caught our attention and did not deserve to be cut, and we are reinstating them.”
Source: www.nytimes.com
