As measles cases surge to nearly 150 in Texas, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has addressed the growing public health concern while maintaining that vaccination remains a personal decision.
In a recent Fox News opinion piece, Kennedy encouraged parents to discuss vaccination options with healthcare providers, highlighting how vaccines protect both individuals and communities. "The decision to vaccinate is a personal one," Kennedy wrote, noting that vaccines help build community immunity and protect those unable to receive vaccinations for medical reasons.
The secretary's comments come amid a serious outbreak in Texas, where health officials report cases across nine counties, with Gaines County accounting for approximately 100 cases. Twenty patients have required hospitalization, and tragically, an unvaccinated school-aged child died on February 24 - marking the first U.S. measles death since 2015.
The outbreak has primarily affected a "close-knit, undervaccinated" Mennonite community in West Texas. Gaines County, which has strong homeschooling and private school populations, reports that nearly 14% of school-aged children opted out of at least one required vaccine last school year.
The current situation reflects a broader national trend of declining vaccination rates since the COVID-19 pandemic. Most states now fall below the 95% vaccination threshold for kindergartners - the level needed to prevent measles outbreaks in communities.
Measles, which can survive in the air for up to two hours, was considered eliminated in the United States in 2000. However, recent outbreaks have emerged across the country, including over 60 cases in Chicago and multiple cases in Florida, where seven children were affected during a brief outbreak at a Broward County elementary school.
The Texas Department of State Health Services reports that most cases involve unvaccinated individuals or those whose vaccination status remains unknown. Texas law currently permits vaccine exemptions for reasons of conscience, including religious beliefs.