Mar 4, 2025 - Health

CDC sends disease experts to Texas as measles cases rise

Angrej Singh

Russell Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), from left, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., US secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), and US President Donald Trump during a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, DC — Robert F. Kennedy Jr., secretary of Health and Human Services, and President Trump during a cabinet meeting at the White House. Photo: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday sent federal disease experts to assist in the response to the intensifying measles outbreak in Texas

Why it matters: The move indicates that HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr and the Trump administration are starting to prioritize the response after Kennedy downplayed the threat last week, describing such outbreaks as "not unusual."

Driving the news: The CDC announced on X that it is partnering with the Texas Department of State Health Services to respond to the measles outbreak.

The partnership, known as an Epi-Aid, is a rapid-response effort in which the CDC's Epidemic Intelligence Service provides local officials onsite support for one to three weeks.

Zoom in: At least 159 measles cases have been confirmed, with 22 of the patients been hospitalized, state officials said Tuesday.

Texas announced last week that a school-age child who was not vaccinated and had no underlying health conditions was the first death in the outbreak.

What they're saying: "The measles outbreak in Texas is a call to action for all of us to reaffirm our commitment to public health," Kennedy said.

"By working together — parents, healthcare providers, community leaders, and government officials, we can prevent future outbreaks and protect the health of our nation," he added.
Kennedy also claimed on Fox News Channel Tuesday that doctors treated "over 108 patients" and are "getting very, very good results" from unconventional treatments, including the steroid budesonide and cod liver oil.

The steroid is more commonly used to treat asthma, mild to moderate active Crohn's disease, an inflammatory bowel disease, and other inflammatory conditions.

Zoom out: Kennedy, a leading vaccine critic, wrote in an Fox News Digital on Sunday that the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine "is crucial to avoiding potentially deadly disease."

But Kennedy emphasized that the decision to vaccinate is "a personal one."

Go deeper: RFK Jr. urges people to get vaccinated amid deadly Texas outbreak

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CDC sends disease experts to Texas as measles cases rise

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