Republican Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana tweeted that the measles vaccine "has been proven safe & effective since 1963" amid a serious outbreak in neighboring Texas—but was called out by critics who reminded him he voted to confirm Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).
At least 58 new measles cases have been reported across northwest Texas in recent weeks, state health officials said Tuesday, describing the outbreak as "highly contagious" and potentially linked to low vaccination rates.
At least four patients were vaccinated, while the "rest are unvaccinated, or their vaccination status is unknown," according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. Most infections have been found in school-age children, with 13 requiring hospitalization. Officials anticipate more cases in the coming weeks.
With this in mind, Cassidy tweeted:
"This is a serious measles outbreak in Texas. The measles vaccine has been proven safe & effective since 1963."
You can see his post below.
The tweet came the week after the GOP-controlled Senate confirmed Kennedy, a noted anti-vaxxer and conspiracy theorist, to lead the Health Department.
Cassidy, a doctor, ended up voting for Kennedy after expressing deep concerns about Kennedy's anti-vax views—a fact many were quick to remind him of.
The possibility of Kennedy assuming any senior government role raised significant concern among public health leaders and federal employees, who argue, even as Kennedy takes the reins, that he should not have access to the nation's public health infrastructure.
For instance, as a prominent anti-vaccine activist, Kennedy has spent years lobbying lawmakers globally, including in Samoa during a deadly 2019 measles outbreak that claimed the lives of dozens of children. While Kennedy’s representatives have denied that he is anti-vaccine, Kennedy has also denied involvement in the Samoa measles crisis.
In a piece for The Hill, Scott A. Rivkees, M.D., a pediatrician and professor of practice at the Brown School of Public Health, criticized Kennedy's confirmation, saying that "as we observe the spillover effect of anti-vaccine viewpoints leading to reduced immunization rates, we see outbreaks of vaccine-preventable illnesses," including measles and whooping cough.
