Overview

• The ongoing measles outbreak in West Texas has spread to over 17 states and Canada, with over 300 confirmed cases and two deaths as of March 28, 2025.
• Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has promoted unproven treatments like vitamin A and cod liver oil, which medical experts warn are ineffective outside hospital settings and may cause harm.
• Some children in West Texas have been hospitalized with vitamin A toxicity, reportedly after parents followed RFK Jr.'s recommendations for alternative remedies.
• Vaccination rates in Gaines County, the epicenter of the outbreak, have risen by 10% compared to 2024 but remain below herd immunity thresholds.
• The CDC continues to support local health departments with pro-vaccine messaging, but resistance persists, particularly in isolated Mennonite communities that have refused to host measles-testing sites.