RFK Jr calls on US families to vaccinate children against measles as cases surge

Robert F Kennedy Jr, the top US health official, used his appearance on CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday to urge parents to vaccinate their children against measles. He said the measles vaccine is effective in around 97% of cases and that people should get vaccinated. Later in the conversation, he also recommended the combined measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine.

The statement came as confirmed measles infections in the US this year reached 2,371, surpassing last year’s total of 2,289. Combined with 2025, the last two years have seen more cases than the rest of the 21st century to date. The last single-year total higher than this year’s was recorded in 1991. There have been 37 new outbreaks this year, placing the US at risk of losing the measles elimination status it has held since 2000.

Kennedy, long known for spreading vaccine misinformation, was pressed by host Dana Bash, who asked him to use his platform to speak directly to parents as the school year approaches. When asked whether he bore any responsibility for the current surge, Kennedy replied "Absolutely not," blaming religious communities that avoid vaccines and global health conditions.

The rest of the interview turned combative. Kennedy accused Bash of saying "nonsense," repeating herself like a parrot, and making unsupported assertions. He also said she had become "flustered," which she calmly denied, saying she was frustrated because his remarks encourage vaccine hesitancy. Kennedy then told Bash she probably did not understand because she is not a scientist; she responded that neither is he.

Kennedy also used the interview to repeat unsubstantiated claims. He said respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a major cause of infant death, and Lyme disease are the result of laboratory manipulation of germs — a suggestion contradicted by decades of evidence showing both have natural origins. RSV was first identified in the 1950s, before gain-of-function research began. He also revived the baseless claim that Tylenol use during pregnancy is linked to autism and cast doubt on Covid-19 vaccines for children.

Ashish Jha, a former White House Covid adviser, said he was encouraged by Kennedy’s call for every American child to receive the MMR vaccine, but added that much of what the health secretary said "just isn’t true." Jha argued the rise in measles during Kennedy’s tenure is not coincidental, saying the administration has not done enough to promote vaccines or highlight the harms of measles.