RFK Jr. Backs 97% Effective Measles Vaccine on CNN as Cases Hit 35-Year High
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Aug 3
RFK Jr. Backs 97% Effective Measles Vaccine on CNN as Cases Hit 35-Year High
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Aug 3
Summary
Pressed on CNN's "State of the Union," HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said parents should vaccinate children against measles, calling the shot effective in about 97% of cases.
Dana Bash challenged Kennedy over whether his long record of vaccine skepticism contributed to rising U.S. measles cases, but he rejected responsibility and argued the outbreak is international.
Kennedy said Mexico has 15 times the U.S. measles rate per capita, Canada four times and England twice, while also blaming COVID-era disruptions for missed childhood vaccinations.
The exchange then widened to autism-vaccine research and media scrutiny, with Kennedy accusing Bash of "press malpractice" and CNN later backing her interview as a tough but substantive challenge.
What hidden data prompted a known vaccine skeptic to suddenly champion the MMR shot during the worst measles crisis in decades?
With surging cases threatening a 26-year elimination status, can a single surprising endorsement reverse the dangerous decline in childhood immunity?
As airborne measles spreads rapidly among unvaccinated clusters, what emergency measures will schools adopt to protect hundreds of thousands of vulnerable kindergartners?
U.S. Measles Cases Hit 26-Year High in 2026: Vaccine Policy, Public Trust, and the Fight to Prevent Endemic Return
Overview
The 2026 measles surge in the United States is the worst in decades, with falling MMR vaccination rates and rising non-medical exemptions fueling over 2,300 cases and widespread outbreaks. This crisis is linked to declining public trust in health agencies, partly driven by federal policy changes that reduced recommended childhood vaccines and inconsistent messaging from HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. As vaccination rates drop, more children are excluded from schools during outbreaks, and public health departments face soaring containment costs. If this trend continues, the U.S. risks losing its measles elimination status, with severe health and economic consequences projected for the coming years.