‘Mixed messaging’: US in chaos as deadly measles outbreak spreads

A terrifying outbreak is escalating across America – and yet the man in charge of the nation’s health has made a series of baffling moves.

US health kingpin Robert F Kennedy Jr has again lauded the work of two controversial “healers” just hours after attending the funeral of a child who died of a rapidly expanding measles outbreak.

The previously strident anti-vaccination campaigner shared a meal with the father of 8-year-old Daisy Hildebrand on Monday Australian time.

The tragic death of the otherwise healthy girl was just the second US measles fatality in more than a decade.

But her father is unrepentant in refusing to have her vaccinated.

“I know it’s not effective because some family members ended up getting the vaccine, and they got the measles way worse than some of my kids,” Mennonite fundamentalist sect member and vaccine-sceptic Pete Hildebrand told US media.

Mr Kennedy posed for photos with the Mennonite Hildebrand and Fehr families. Kayley Fehr, 6, was the first to die of measles in February.

Her 2-year-old sister was discharged last week after spending three weeks in intensive care.

“It was a heartbreaking day, but I felt so much warmth and love from the entire Mennonite community. I have bonded with many of these resilient, hardworking, resourceful, and God-loving people over the past three months and it was good to finally meet them in person,” Mr Kennedy wrote in a post to the social media service X.

In Seminole, Texas, with Jake and Tina Fehr whose 2-year-old daughter, Helena was just discharged after three weeks in the ICU, Peter and Eva Fehr whose daughter, Kayley, 6, passed in February, and Pete and Eva Hildebrand whose daughter, Daisy, 8, we buried this afternoon. I also… pic.twitter.com/BjErlRkCJX

— Secretary Kennedy (@SecKennedy) April 7, 2025

But he also took the opportunity to once again spruik medically unvalidated cures.

“I also visited with these two extraordinary healers, Dr Richard Bartlett and Dr Ben Edwards who have treated and healed some 300 measles-stricken Mennonite children using aerosolised budesonide and clarithromycin,” he said.

Mixed messages

All three deaths from the outbreak so far, including an adult in New Mexico, have been among unvaccinated sufferers.

Measles can cause many complications, especially among young children, people with immune deficiencies and pregnant women.

Severe dehydration can be produced by uncontrolled diarrhoea. It can also produce ear infections, blindness, brain-swelling encephalitis, respiratory failure and premature birth.

As of Monday, there were 642 reported measles cases in 22 states, 499 of which were in Texas.

The outbreak is smashing the US. Picture: Win McNamee Pool Photo via AP

“The most effective way to prevent the spread of measles is the MMR vaccine,” the Health and Human Services Secretary told media before visiting the Mennonite community.

“I’ve spoken to Governor Abbott, and I’ve offered HHS’ continued support. At his request, we have redeployed CDC teams to Texas. We will continue to follow Texas’ lead and to offer similar resources to other affected jurisdictions.”

A vaccination campaign, however, does not appear to be on the cards.

Pete Hildebrand told US media that Mr Kennedy “never said anything” about the advantages of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine during his funeral visit.

“He did not say that the vaccine was effective,” he said.

“I had supper with the guy … and he never said anything about that.”

That’s in keeping with Mr Kennedy’s well-established anti-vaccination stance.

“It does cause deaths every year,” he told Fox News earlier this year.

“[The MMR vaccine] causes all the illnesses that measles itself causes, encephalitis and blindness, et cetera. And so people ought to be able to make that choice for themselves.”

Medical researchers say there is no evidence this is the case.

Instead, Mr Kennedy’s Centres for Disease Control (CDC) team is in Texas to “bolster local and state capacity” to control the outbreak. This includes “supply pharmacies and Texas-run clinics with needed MMR vaccines and other medicines and medical supplies.”

US Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F Kennedy Jr has so far refused to address his mixed messaging. Picture: Jim Watson/AFP

The Health Secretary has so far refused to address his mixed messaging.

“My intention was to come down here quietly to console the families and to be with the community in their moment of grief,” Mr Kennedy said.

“I am also here to support Texas health officials and to learn how our HHS agencies can better partner with them to control the measles outbreak.”

Salvation or snake oil?

The Trump-appointed Health Secretary has repeatedly promoted several controversial Texans for their unconventional approach towards curing measles.

Mennonite historian Tina Siemens told US media last week that Mr Kennedy had contacted her and Children’s Health Defence chief scientific officer Brian Hooker to discuss the community’s health issues.

Both run an online fundraiser claiming to help the sect “defray the cost of essential vitamins, supplements, and medicines necessary to treat children enduring complications from the measles virus and other illnesses”.

Children’s Health Defence is a high-profile anti-vaccine advocacy group.

Mr Kennedy is its founder and former chairman.

The deadly measles outbreak is spreading in the US. Picture: iStock

Ms Siemens says the campaign has so far funded the distribution of its remedies to “150 to 200 families”.

She added the treatments are being supplied by the Veritas Wellness clinic.

This ties in with Mr Kennedy’s citation of Dr Ben Edwards.

He is an outspoken opponent of vaccination and owner of the Veritas Wellness clinic in Lubbock, Texas.

It sells skin gels and lemon-flavoured drinks infused with cod liver oil and vitamin supplements.

Mr Kennedy’s other healer, Dr Richard Bartlet, has a controversial past.

He was censured by the Texas Medical Board in 2003 for “unusual use of risk-filled medications”. The board found he had misdiagnosed patients as having measles and had mismanaged their care.

One-year-old River Jacobs is held by his mother, Caitlin Fuller, while he receives an MMR vaccine in Lubbock, Texas. Picture: Jan Sonnenmair/Getty Images/AFP

Mr Kennedy told Fox News last week that this combination of steroids, antibiotics and cod liver oil was producing “very, very good results” in treating measles.

He did not provide any medical research data to validate the statement. And validation is needed, as budesonide and clarithromycin are compounds designed to treat conditions very different to measles.

Budesonide is an inhaled steroid used to ease asthma breathing issues. Medical researchers warn that it may “weaken your immune system” and that users should “avoid being around people who are sick or who have infections such as chickenpox or measles”.

Clarithromycin is an antibiotic.

It can reach bacterial infections in much of the body.

But viruses are 10 times smaller than bacteria and have a different biology. Antibiotics have no effect in combating them.

Jamie Seidel is a freelance writer | @jamieseidel.bsky.social

Originally published as ‘Mixed messaging’: US in chaos as deadly measles outbreak spreads