In the first test of the Trump administration’s ability to respond to the condition of infectious pathological emergency, the best health official has moved away from one of the most important government tools, as experts said on Sunday: loudly and encouraging parents to vaccinate their children.
Robert F. was criticized. Kennedy Junior, Minister of Health, widely in the name of Reducing measles In West Texas at the cabinet meeting on Wednesday. In a post on social media FridayHe took new ingenuity, saying that the outbreak of the disease was a “maximum priority” for its virtues, health and humanitarian services.
He referred to many ways that the administration helps in Texas, among them by financing the fortification program in the state and updating advice that doctors give children vitamin A. But on any of the occasion, I advise Mr. Kennedy himself the Americans to make sure that their children got the shots.
The centers of control and prevention of diseases, part of HHS, have not sent the first fundamental notice about the outbreak of the disease until Thursday, almost a month after reporting the first cases in Texas.
“They were screaming with whisper,” said Dr. Michael Ostohm, a epidemic specialist at Minnesota University and a former official at the Ministry of Health.
“I am afraid that their hands will be linked,” he added.
CDC officials did not immediately respond to the comment.
The outbreak of measles in West Texas led to the illness of more than 140 residents and the killing of one child, the first death in a decade. The lukewarm support for fortification and rare federal updates raises the interest of scientists in the light of Mr. Kennedy’s long record of lack of confidence in vaccines.
Over the years, he suggested that the measles vaccine, mumps and measles are associated with autism and that measles spread was often “fabricated” to fattens the profits of drug makers.
Some researchers said that if the outbreak of Texas provides a window on the Trump administration’s approach to public health, it explains the troubles for the future.
State officials say they did not need extensive federal assistance, but the outbreaks of the future may not be controlled elsewhere without federal assistance. “You can call this a dress rehearsal,” said Catherine Trussi, Epidemist at Autherath.
“In the theater, the rehearsal of bad dress means well. I am really completely sure that this is not the case in public health.”
In the outbreak of previous measles, the Center for Disease Control often plays a leading role in educating the public about the risks of contracting with the virus and the importance of MMR vaccines.
At the height of the outbreak in New York in 2019, during the first term of President Trump, the agency issued press release Urging health care providers to reassure patients about the safety of the vaccine and criticizing groups that publish misleading information on this topic.
In a accompanying statement, Alex M. Azar II, Minister of Health at the time, that the measles were “a very gastative disease, which is likely to threaten life.”
He added: “With a safe and effective vaccine that protects against measles, the suffering we see can be avoided.”
The correspondence this time was more complete.
By the time when the Center for Disease Control issued the first public statement on the outbreak of fascism, the measles extended to nine provinces in Texas, and nine additional cases erupted in New Mexico.
The statement mentioned the vaccination once, saying, “It is still the best defense against measles infection.”
When he was asked about the cases in Texas on Wednesday, Mr. Kennedy said that the disease was “not unusual”, and claimed that many people in the hospital were there “mainly for quarantine.”
The vaccines did not mention. In his post on social media, Mr. Kennedy stressed that his ministry “will continue to finance the Texas fortification program.” But the Americans did not express explicitly to get the footage.
Instead, the vaccination campaign was largely left to government and local officials. In Texas, there were frequent news conferences, as they strongly enhance vaccine clinics and expose wrong information.
Senator Bill Cassidy, Republican Louisiana, a doctor, and who Dishing a decisive vote To assure Mr. Kennedy for his position, he urged his residents, who limits Texas, to ensure that they were updating their measles vaccinations.
Dr. Ostohm said that the infectious virus, such as measles, does not respect the borders of the state, and the center of diseases control must provide greater national directives and leadership.
“It can be any location of the next hot spot tomorrow” He said.
On Friday, the capital of Texas, Austin, reported a state of measles in an uncomplicated infant during international travel.
