WSJ Urges Kennedy to Abandon ‘Antivax Hooey’ Amid Texas Measles Outbreak

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The Wall Street Journal’s editorial board has called on Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to distance himself from his long-held anti-vaccine positions as Texas faces a growing measles outbreak. The op-ed, published Monday, comes as nearly 50 confirmed cases—primarily among unvaccinated children—have been reported in the South Plains region of Texas.

 

“We are on record as skeptical of RFK Jr.’s nomination. The Senate confirmed him. Now the best-case scenario would be for Mr. Kennedy to internalize that he is no longer an activist outsider who needs to take provocative potshots to get attention,” the Journal’s editorial board wrote.

 

As of last week, 48 children had been diagnosed with measles, with 13 requiring hospitalization. Health officials warn that the disease is highly contagious, with the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases stating that up to 90% of unprotected individuals exposed to measles will become infected.

 

According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, all of the infected children were either unvaccinated or had unconfirmed vaccination statuses. Officials have cautioned that the outbreak could continue to grow due to measles’ extreme transmissibility.

 

“The tragedy is that this doesn’t have to keep happening. In 2000, measles was declared eliminated from the U.S., meaning 12 months with no continuous spread,” the Journal’s op-ed noted. “Yet for some people, the reality of measles feels like a sepia-toned history lesson, whereas the antivax hooey featured on podcasts these days sounds current.”

 

The editorial directly criticized Kennedy’s role in spreading vaccine skepticism. “RFK Jr., an environmental lawyer by trade, has long been part of the problem, and at his Senate confirmation hearings he presented himself as just asking questions, man. That undersells his role in spreading doubt and confusion.”

 

The piece also pointed to the declining vaccination rates among U.S. kindergarteners. While states and Washington, D.C., mandate vaccinations for school attendance, exemptions are commonly granted. During the 2023-2024 school year, coverage for the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine among kindergarteners fell to 92.7%, below the federal “Healthy People 2030” target of 95%—the threshold considered necessary to maintain herd immunity.

 

With Kennedy now leading HHS, concerns remain about how the administration will address declining immunization rates. Though federal health officials have long emphasized the importance of MMR coverage, Kennedy has signaled that his priorities will focus on chronic illnesses rather than infectious disease.

 

As the measles outbreak unfolds, the WSJ’s editorial serves as a pointed reminder of the stakes involved in vaccine policy and public health leadership.

 

Based on a report by The Hill  2025-02-19