Measles outbreak has reached numbers not seen in the last 35 years. RFK Jr. now tells US families to get children vaccinated

The number of measles infections in the United States has officially reached levels not seen in the last 35 years. As of Sunday, the country has recorded 2,371 confirmed cases this year, a figure that has already surpassed the 2,289 infections reported in 2025.

US health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr addressed this surge during an interview, The Guardian reported. When prompted by host Dana Bash to use his platform to encourage parents to protect their children, Kennedy said, “Parents should get their children vaccinated for measles. A measles vaccine is effective, it stops measles in about 97% of the cases. People should get vaccinated.” He further clarified that families should utilize the combined measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine, which serves as the primary defense against the disease.

Even after stepping into his role as the country’s top health official, Kennedy has frequently characterized vaccination as a personal choice and has claimed that the efficacy of these shots is waning. The current situation remains dire, as 37 new outbreaks have been recorded this year alone. These numbers place the United States at risk of losing the measles elimination status it has maintained since 2000.

This recent guidance marks a notable shift from Kennedy’s long history of promoting vaccine skepticism

When asked if he takes any personal responsibility for the current surge, Kennedy stated, “Absolutely not.” Instead, he attributed the outbreaks to global health conditions and religious communities that choose to avoid vaccines.

The interview grew increasingly contentious as the conversation continued. Kennedy dismissed questions regarding his public stance on vaccines and turned to personal attacks against the host. At one point, he told Bash, “you probably don’t understand this because you’re not a scientist.” Bash responded by noting, “But you’re not, either.”

The exchange drew significant attention from observers. Commentator Aaron Rupar described the performance as “RFK Jr’s epic CNN crashout” and remarked in a post on X that Kennedy’s “yelling” sounded like “a rabid dog barking.”

Senator Andy Kim of New Jersey also weighed in on the implications of the interview. Kim stated, “The only thing they have a plan for is trying to distract you from the fact that they’ve taken away healthcare from millions.”

Beyond the measles discussion, Kennedy used the interview to repeat various claims that lack scientific backing. He suggested that respiratory syncytial virus and Lyme disease were the result of laboratory germ manipulation, a theory that contradicts decades of established scientific evidence. He also reiterated claims regarding a link between Tylenol use during pregnancy and autism, and cast doubt on the efficacy of Covid-19 vaccines.

Ashish Jha, who served as an advisor for the previous administration’s Covid response, appeared later in the program to discuss these comments. While Jha noted it was positive to hear the health secretary support the MMR vaccine, he emphasized that much of the remaining information shared by Kennedy was inaccurate.

Jha argued that the administration has not done enough to highlight the dangers of measles or to promote vaccination efforts. Taken together, the past two years have now seen more measles infections in the United States than the rest of the 21st century combined. The last time the country faced such a high number of cases in a single year was 1991.