This 1 Measles Graph Obliterates the RFK-Hating Media's Fear-Mongering

If you’ve tuned in to the late-night news or your go-to liberal cable network recently, you’ve likely encountered the same headline: a measles outbreak that originated in Texas.

And along with it, the underlying implication: President Donald Trump appointed Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a well-known vaccine skeptic, to head the Department of Health and Human Services. The suggestion is that these two events are linked.

Disregard the fact that RFK Jr. has since advocated for children to receive measles vaccinations following the outbreak, stating in a press release that “[v]accines not only protect individual children from measles, but also contribute to community immunity, protecting those who are unable to be vaccinated due to medical reasons.”

Also ignore the reality that out of the 146 confirmed cases since late January, there has been just one confirmed fatality—undoubtedly tragic, but the first such death in the U.S. in a decade.

Instead, social media influencer and academic Kevin Bass took a hammer to the prevailing media narrative, dismantling the notion that this outbreak constitutes a national crisis warranting widespread panic.

Let’s start with the facts, as reported by Science Alert: “On Feb. 26, 2025, Texas health officials announced the death of a child in a measles outbreak – the first measles death in the United States since 2015.

“The outbreak was first identified in early February in Gaines County, Texas, where just 82% of kindergartners are vaccinated against measles, compared with 93% on average across the country.”

The report continued, noting that “there have been occasional minor flare-ups” since the measles vaccine first became commercially available in 1963, “usually brought in by international travelers, but by and large, measles outbreaks have been rare.” That’s a key point to remember.

Additionally, the article claimed that “the vast majority of people falling ill are unvaccinated.” However, this is not entirely accurate, according to HHS: “The DSHS reports that 79 of the confirmed cases involved individuals who had not received the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, while 62 cases had unknown vaccine status. At least five had received an MMR vaccine.” [Emphasis ours.]

There are various reasons why someone’s vaccination status might be unclear, which we’ll explore shortly. However, this detail is not unrelated to the previous key point—both should be considered together.

Given this, the expected takeaway is that anti-vaxxers—and by association, RFK Jr.—are to blame. While it’s true that RFK Jr. has previously expressed skepticism about vaccines, his appointment wasn’t based on that stance. Rather, it was because he had the audacity to challenge the Biden administration and has broader concerns regarding the pharmaceutical industry.

Not long ago, “anti-vaxxers” were largely made up of yoga instructors and those swayed by former Playboy model and MTV host Jenny McCarthy’s claims linking vaccines to autism—hardly a right-wing demographic. Back then, their skepticism was tolerated. But as Bass highlighted, while the U.S. saw roughly 80 measles cases annually in the 2000s, that number has climbed to about 240 and has remained steady for years.

Yet, looking at a 10-year rolling average of measles cases reveals no significant resurgence, despite this latest outbreak.

More importantly, Bass pointed out that panic isn’t warranted.

Put simply, there’s no direct link between the peak of anti-vaccine sentiment and an increase in measles cases or more severe outcomes. So, what else could be at play here?

Science Alert notes that “international travel” is associated with measles outbreaks. Furthermore, recall that 62 of the current cases “had unknown vaccine status.” Why might that be? Especially in a border state? Amid an ongoing border crisis?

Interesting, isn’t it? And let’s not forget: under the Biden administration, unvaccinated illegal immigrants were permitted entry, while American citizens were required to get the COVID shot—at least until the courts stepped in.

This isn’t to definitively claim that these cases originated south of the border and remained dormant, but key details remain unclear—such as the number of recent arrivals in the outbreak’s epicenter or the reason for the unknown vaccination statuses. Still, it’s entirely plausible that illegal immigration played a role rather than just anti-vaccine sentiment.

Ultimately, there are multiple ways to interpret this data, beyond just blaming RFK Jr. That particular narrative serves a political purpose, but in terms of meaningful analysis, it’s far from useful. And yet, this is precisely how modern media operates, folks.