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Former CDC official says RFK Jr.'s response to measles outbreak "not based on science or reality"
CBS News • • health
Key Points:
- During the 2024 measles outbreak, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his allies requested outdated data on measles deaths, seemingly to support a pre-existing agenda, according to former CDC Chief Medical Officer Dr. Debra Houry.
- Houry and other senior CDC officials resigned in protest last summer, citing concerns that Kennedy's group was spreading misinformation and undermining the CDC's science-based response during the outbreak.
- Kennedy, a known vaccine skeptic, made inaccurate claims about the MMR vaccine's ingredients and promoted alternative treatments like steroids, antibiotics, and vitamin A, despite no scientific basis for these claims.
- The CDC reported that 93% of measles cases last year were among unvaccinated individuals or those with unknown vaccination status, highlighting the public health risk posed by vaccine misinformation.
- Vitamin A was promoted by Kennedy as an effective measles treatment, but health officials warned that excessive intake led to toxicity cases, underscoring the dangers of misleading public health messages during an outbreak.
