RFK Jr. goes full anti-vaccine bananas over two measles deaths—one was a newborn
Kennedy and his allies have a history of downplaying vaccine-preventable deaths.
In the aftermath of two measles-related deaths in Pennsylvania, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been spreading a wave of anti-vaccine rhetoric and false information on his social media platforms. This resurgence in his anti-vaccination stance comes as the first measles-linked fatalities in Pennsylvania in 35 years and the first US measles deaths reported in 2026.
The deaths happened amidst an explosive outbreak in the state, which has reached nearly 400 confirmed cases, along with a nationwide surge for the vaccine-preventable disease.
Initially, Pennsylvania health officials kept quiet about the identities of the victims, only mentioning that they were unvaccinated individuals from Lancaster County. However, news broke on Wednesday that one of the deaths was a newborn baby. This heart-wrenching revelation quickly became intertwined with the anti-vaccine misinformation Kennedy was disseminating online.
It is crucial to note that Kennedy's recent actions are a stark contrast to the importance of vaccination in preventing diseases like measles.
Written by urgent.news from Ars Technica Health's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
