HHS Says It Is Prioritizing Ending Texas Measles Outbreak

Reuters (2/28, Sunny) reported that Health and Human Services Secretary Kennedy on Friday “said he recognizes the serious impact of the current measles outbreak in Texas, in which a child died [last] week, and said the government is providing resources, including vaccines.” He said in a post on X, “Ending the measles outbreak is a top priority for me and my extraordinary team.” Kennedy “said the Department of Health and Human Services would send Texas 2,000 doses of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine through its immunization program.” The New York Times (3/2, Rosenbluth) reports that in his post, Kennedy “noted various ways in which the department is aiding Texas, among them by funding the state’s immunization program and updating advice that doctors give children vitamin A.” In past measles outbreaks, the CDC “often plays a leading role in educating the public about the dangers of contracting the virus and the importance of MMR vaccinations.” In this circumstance, however, the agency “did not send its first substantive notice about the outbreak until Thursday, almost a month after the first cases in Texas were reported.” A second New York Times (2/28, Rosenbluth, Rios) article noted that since last month, “more than 140 Texas residents, most of whom live in the surrounding Gaines County, have been diagnosed and 20 have been hospitalized. Nine people in a bordering county in New Mexico have also fallen ill.”