Kennedy posts vaccine misinformation, spars on social media amid measles deaths

Two unvaccinated people died from measles-associated causes in Pennsylvania, prompting HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to call Gov. Josh Shapiro and offer federal assistance. The call reportedly turned heated, with Shapiro publicly accusing Kennedy of spreading misinformation that has "real-life consequences" for communities, particularly in Pennsylvania.

Kennedy has a history of casting doubt on vaccine safety and efficacy, including the MMR vaccine, and his recent social media posts downplay measles severity, dispute his role in spreading misinformation, and try to shift attention elsewhere. In response to Shapiro, Kennedy accused him of "gaslighting" and posted a link to The HighWire, an anti-vaccine website run by Del Bigtree, while blaming the Biden administration for declining pediatric vaccination rates and offering to cite "hundreds of instances" of Biden-era vaccine misinformation.

The next day, Kennedy urged people to get vaccinated against measles at a Tampa event, but did not post about it on X. CDC Director Erica Schwartz has also made no public comments about the outbreak or deaths. Kennedy defended his tenure, saying "We are actually restoring faith in the public health agencies," and said the CDC is investigating the deaths. The official CDC account expressed condolences and called the MMR vaccine the "most effective protection against measles." Senate health leader Bill Cassidy called for vaccinations, writing, "No one needs to die from measles in 2026. Misinformation and misguided policies are leaving children unprotected against a disease we know how to prevent."

These events are part of a broader pattern of vaccine skepticism and misinformation from Kennedy as children return to school amid rising vaccine exemptions and measles outbreaks in several states, including Maryland.