U.S. Health Secretary RFK Jr. urges measles vaccinations as cases reach historic highs

What This is

• Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told parents to vaccinate children against measles in a CNN interview, despite his long history of vaccine skepticism.
• Doctors and fact-checkers say Kennedy repeated debunked or disputed claims about vaccines and other health topics during his CNN appearance, and warn such statements can increase vaccine hesitancy during an outbreak.
• The U.S. has logged about 2,300+ measles cases in 2026 so far, the highest annual level in roughly 35 years and already above 2025’s total.
• Outbreaks have been reported across many states and settings, including large clusters in states such as South Carolina, Utah, Arizona and Texas, and exposures have been flagged in public places like restaurants and a baseball stadium.
• Health officials say most cases are in unvaccinated people, including many children and teens, and the outbreaks have led to hospitalizations and some recent deaths.
• Since taking office, Kennedy has pushed changes to federal vaccine policy and guidance, including revising the childhood vaccine schedule and weakening some routine vaccine recommendations, actions that have triggered legal and political pushback.

Why This Matters

• Measles spreads so easily that small drops in vaccination can cause large outbreaks.
• The surge raises questions about how much public trust in vaccines and health advice has eroded, and how quickly that can translate into real illness and deaths.
• Federal vaccine policy and messaging can shape what states, schools, and clinics recommend, and mixed signals can make outbreak control harder.
• If low coverage becomes normal, the U.S. could see more frequent outbreaks of measles and other preventable diseases, increasing costs for hospitals and health departments.