States the vaccine is “crucial to avoiding the potentially deadly disease.”
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., released an opinion piece on Monday urging families in West Texas to consider getting their children vaccinated with the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. Nearly 150 measles cases have been confirmed in the area, and last week a child died from the disease, the first measles death in the United States in a decade.
Secretary Kennedy is well-known for questioning the effectiveness of vaccines and vaccine development, but defended the MMR vaccine, saying it is “crucial to avoiding potentially deadly disease.”
“The decision to vaccinate is a personal one,” Secretary Kennedy said. “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.”
The HHS secretary also called on healthcare providers and legislators to ensure that “accurate information about vaccine safety and efficacy is disseminated.”
“We must engage with communities to understand their concerns, provide culturally competent education, and make vaccines readily accessible for all those who want them,” Secretary Kennedy wrote.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For discernment for Secretary Kennedy as he encourages vaccination against measles.
- For HHS officials as they seek to improve the nation’s public health.
Sources: The Hill, USA Today
