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Kennedy offers federal support to New York over measles outbreak
Reuters • • health
Key Points:
- New York Governor Kathy Hochul spoke with U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who offered federal support to address the state's measles outbreak, according to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
- Kennedy connected Hochul with CDC Director Erica Schwartz, with federal officials prepared to assist New York's outbreak response.
- New York declared a statewide disaster emergency due to the measles outbreak, reporting 108 cases through October 3, mainly in under-immunized rural communities across 18 counties.
- CDC Director Schwartz recommended the MMR vaccine to control the outbreak, while CDC assistance has been politically controversial under Kennedy, who has questioned reported measles-related deaths.
- Some states like Pennsylvania have resisted CDC help amid disputes over the virus's impact, whereas Texas and Virginia have accepted federal assistance.
