RFK Jr. Admits He Knows Nothing About Actually Treating Measles
Despite issuing guidance that measles can be treated with simple vitamins, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. admitted Tuesday that he's never actually had to help someone recover from the disease before.
Kennedy was excoriated by Washington Representative Kim Schrier before the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health Tuesday. She torched Kennedy for continuing to spread vaccine misinformation and refusing to listen to medical experts while he leads the nation's public health policy.
'Have you ever treated measles?' asked Schrier, a former physician.
'No,' Kennedy said with a short laugh.
'Well I have,' Schrier said. 'Let me tell you how miserable it is: These kids have high fevers, struggling to breathe, and they are crying. They suffer. The great thing is that there's a vaccine to prevent it.'
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials have described the current measles outbreak in Texas as the worst uptick the agency has seen in measles cases in the last 25 years. But the lackadaisical public response to the contagion has only been made worse by Kennedy's politics, which include unfounded claims that the disease-eradicating vaccine was contributing to higher autism rates in kids.
Schrier also accused Kennedy of lying to Republican Senator Bill Cassidy during his February confirmation hearings when he promised not to alter the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Cassidy was a critical vote for Kennedy clinching the Cabinet role.
'But then two weeks ago you fired all 17 experts on that very committee. Mr. Secretary, question for you, did you lie to Senator Cassidy when you told him you would not change this panel of experts?' Schrier asked.
Kennedy denied having made that commitment altogether, calling it 'inaccurate.'
'I made an agreement with him, and he and I talked many times about that agreement,' he said of Cassidy.
Kennedy claimed that all 17 members had potential conflicts of interest before instating eight new members who were reputed vaccine and Covid-19 skeptics.
In May, Kennedy justified a religious Texas community's decision not to receive the vaccine by claiming that the measles vaccine contains 'aborted fetus debris' as well as 'DNA particles.'
It should go without saying, but the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine does not contain pieces of aborted fetuses. The vaccine contains live or weakened measles, mumps, and rubella viruses and ingredients to stabilize the solution.
The return of historically eradicated diseases is thanks to a growing movement of anti-vax parents who refuse to provide their children with the same public health advantages that they received in their youth, mostly in fear of thoroughly debunked conspiracy theories. The researcher who sparked that myth with a fraudulent paper lost his medical license and eventually rescinded his opinion. Since then, dozens of studies have proven there's no correlation between autism and vaccines, including one study that surveyed more than 660,000 children over the course of 11 years.
But America's is not the first measles response that Kennedy has bungled. Under Kennedy's stewardship, the anti-vax nonprofit Children's Health Defense had its own questionable history with the disease. Preceding a deadly measles outbreak on Samoa in 2019, the organization spread rampant misinformation about the efficacy of vaccines throughout the nation, sending the island's vaccination rate plummeting from the 60–70 percent range to just 31 percent, according to Mother Jones. That year, the country reported 5,707 cases of measles as well as 83 measles-related deaths, the majority of which were children under the age of 5.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
3 hours ago
- New York Post
RFK Jr. wants every American to use ‘wearable' health data-collecting technology
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. wants all Americans to use 'wearable' technology to track their health as part of his 'MAHA' agenda. The Kennedy-clan strongman revealed his agency's plan Tuesday for a massive push for Americans — who have an obesity rate of 40% — to use wearable data-collecting technology such as FitBits, Oura Rings, and Apple Watches, to promote healthier lifestyles. 'We're about to launch the biggest advertising campaign in HHS history to encourage Americans to use wearables,' Kennedy said in a House Committee on Energy and Commerce hearing on Tuesday. Advertisement 3 Robert Kennedy Jr. said he wants all Americans to use 'wearable' technology to track their health as part of his 'MAHA' agenda. X / @SecKennedy 'It's a way people can take control over their own health. They can take responsibility. They can see, as you know, what food is doing to their glucose levels, their heart rates, and a number of other metrics, as they eat it,' the secretary said in the statement, which was also posted to X. 'We think that wearables are a key to the MAHA agenda of making America healthy again and my vision is that every American is wearing a wearable in four years,' he concluded. Advertisement Kennedy expressed the belief that with accurate and timely health data, Americans will exert better judgment in their diet and will even opt for more exercise. The Trump official has previously argued during his Senate confirmation hearing that obesity in the United States poses a national security risk affecting military readiness. 3 Close up of a hand touching a smartwatch with a health app on the screen, a gadget for a fitness active lifestyle. sitthiphong – President Trump's nominee for Surgeon General, Dr. Casey Means, is also an advocate for wearable Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) products. Advertisement In a blog post for her own CGM-producing company, Levels, Means argued that the 'small plastic discs' can 'reduce global metabolic suffering' and provide much-needed help to the '93.2 percent of people' in the US suffering from metabolic issues. Means' Levels technology attaches to the users' arms and sends accurate, second-by-second metabolic data to their smartphone. 3 A diabetic woman with a glucose sensor uses a mobile phone to measure her blood sugar level. Pixel-Shot – Advertisement Kennedy revealed last week that coffee giant Starbucks will make MAHA-inspired amendments to its menu — though the company already avoids artificial flavors, dyes, high fructose corn syrup, and other unhealthy additives. RFK Jr. took his first pound of flesh off of Americans earlier this year when he outlawed the use of artificial dyes in American food products.
Miami Herald
5 hours ago
- Miami Herald
5 surprising stats on alcohol use disorder
5 surprising stats on alcohol use disorder Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a serious and often misunderstood condition affecting millions of people in the United States. Despite alcohol's cultural normalization, AUD contributes to a staggering number of deaths each year and poses a major public health threat. Stigma, misinformation, and a lack of access to care continue to obscure who is affected, the role of co-occurring mental health conditions, and what treatment and recovery can look like. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 178,000 people die each year from excessive alcohol use. These deaths stem both from the effects of chronic alcohol use, including conditions like liver disease, heart disease, and certain cancers, and from acute consequences of binge drinking, such as motor vehicle crashes, overdoses, alcohol poisoning, and suicide. Alcohol-related death statistics Alcohol-related deaths are also rising. Between 2016 and 2021, deaths linked to alcohol increased by 29%, according to the CDC. This jump reflects a 27% increase in alcohol-related deaths among boys and men, and a 35% increase among girls and women, though men still account for a higher total number of deaths. The data underscores a concerning trend: excessive drinking, whether chronic or episodic, is becoming increasingly deadly across all demographics. The financial toll of alcohol use is also massive. According to federal estimates, substance misuse costs the U.S. about $740 billion each year in areas like lost productivity and healthcare. Alcohol use alone accounts for $249 billion of that total, including $27 billion in direct healthcare costs. To better understand the scope of this crisis, Charlie Health examined some of the most striking AUD statistics, from rising rates of alcohol misuse to the possible genetic components of AUD. We also share how people struggling with substance use disorder (SUD), including AUD, can access compassionate, evidence-based care. 1. Just over one in 10 Americans struggles with AUD According to the 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), just over one in 10 people age 12 or older (10.6%) had AUD in the past year. That amounts to 29.5 million people. While this staggering number highlights how common AUD is across all age groups, there are some populations that are more at risk than others. The percentage of people who had AUD in the past year was highest among young adults aged 18 to 25, about 1 in 7 of whom (15%) struggled with the condition, according to the SAMHSA (that's 5 million people). 2. Teens with depression might be more likely to struggle with alcohol misuse Data consistently shows that mental health and alcohol misuse are closely linked, especially during adolescence, a critical period for emotional development and risk-taking behaviors. According to the SAMHSA, teens ages 12 to 17 who had a major depressive episode in the past year were more than twice as likely to binge drink than those who didn't (6.7% compared to 3.1%, respectively). SAMHSA defines binge drinking as consuming more than four or five alcoholic drinks within a couple of hours on at least one day in the past month. 3. Adults with mental health conditions might binge drink at higher rates Similar links between mental health conditions and alcohol misuse are seen among adults. SAMHSA data shows that adults with mental health conditions were more likely to binge drink alcohol than those without. In fact, over half of adults with any or a serious mental health condition were binge drinkers compared to just 21% of those without a mental health condition. 4. There might be genetic risk factors for AUD Recent genetic research has begun to identify specific genetic variants linked to addiction risk. The 2023 study discovered 19 DNA changes affecting overall addiction susceptibility, including nine tied specifically to alcohol. Understanding these genetic factors may pave the way for more targeted and effective treatments. 5. Most people with SUDs don't get the treatment they need Despite how common substance use disorders (SUDs) are, most people who need care don't get it. In 2023, an estimated 54.2 million people needed treatment - but only 23% received it, according to American Addiction Centers. This treatment gap highlights not just the scale of the crisis, but the systemic barriers - like stigma, cost, and limited access - that continue to prevent people from getting help. Expanding access to affordable, evidence-based care is essential. This story was produced by Charlie Health and reviewed and distributed by Stacker. Stacker Media, LLC.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
RFK Jr. Admits He Knows Nothing About Actually Treating Measles
Despite issuing guidance that measles can be treated with simple vitamins, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. admitted Tuesday that he's never actually had to help someone recover from the disease before. Kennedy was excoriated by Washington Representative Kim Schrier before the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health Tuesday. She torched Kennedy for continuing to spread vaccine misinformation and refusing to listen to medical experts while he leads the nation's public health policy. 'Have you ever treated measles?' asked Schrier, a former physician. 'No,' Kennedy said with a short laugh. 'Well I have,' Schrier said. 'Let me tell you how miserable it is: These kids have high fevers, struggling to breathe, and they are crying. They suffer. The great thing is that there's a vaccine to prevent it.' Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials have described the current measles outbreak in Texas as the worst uptick the agency has seen in measles cases in the last 25 years. But the lackadaisical public response to the contagion has only been made worse by Kennedy's politics, which include unfounded claims that the disease-eradicating vaccine was contributing to higher autism rates in kids. Schrier also accused Kennedy of lying to Republican Senator Bill Cassidy during his February confirmation hearings when he promised not to alter the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Cassidy was a critical vote for Kennedy clinching the Cabinet role. 'But then two weeks ago you fired all 17 experts on that very committee. Mr. Secretary, question for you, did you lie to Senator Cassidy when you told him you would not change this panel of experts?' Schrier asked. Kennedy denied having made that commitment altogether, calling it 'inaccurate.' 'I made an agreement with him, and he and I talked many times about that agreement,' he said of Cassidy. Kennedy claimed that all 17 members had potential conflicts of interest before instating eight new members who were reputed vaccine and Covid-19 skeptics. In May, Kennedy justified a religious Texas community's decision not to receive the vaccine by claiming that the measles vaccine contains 'aborted fetus debris' as well as 'DNA particles.' It should go without saying, but the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine does not contain pieces of aborted fetuses. The vaccine contains live or weakened measles, mumps, and rubella viruses and ingredients to stabilize the solution. The return of historically eradicated diseases is thanks to a growing movement of anti-vax parents who refuse to provide their children with the same public health advantages that they received in their youth, mostly in fear of thoroughly debunked conspiracy theories. The researcher who sparked that myth with a fraudulent paper lost his medical license and eventually rescinded his opinion. Since then, dozens of studies have proven there's no correlation between autism and vaccines, including one study that surveyed more than 660,000 children over the course of 11 years. But America's is not the first measles response that Kennedy has bungled. Under Kennedy's stewardship, the anti-vax nonprofit Children's Health Defense had its own questionable history with the disease. Preceding a deadly measles outbreak on Samoa in 2019, the organization spread rampant misinformation about the efficacy of vaccines throughout the nation, sending the island's vaccination rate plummeting from the 60–70 percent range to just 31 percent, according to Mother Jones. That year, the country reported 5,707 cases of measles as well as 83 measles-related deaths, the majority of which were children under the age of 5.
