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yesterday

Schumer Calls on RFK Jr. to Declare Nationwide Measles Emergency

Schumer warns cuts to public health funding, coupled with the firing of CDC vaccine advisers, have left the U.S. vulnerable as measles cases near 1,300

Sen. Chuck Schumer blasted HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., pictured, and called on him to declare a public health emergency over measles outbreak.
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Overview

  • The outbreak, which began in West Texas in January, has spread to 38 states and resulted in multiple deaths, marking the worst U.S. measles resurgence since 1992.
  • In a July 11 letter, Schumer urged HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to invoke a national public health emergency to mobilize federal resources and personnel.
  • Schumer accused Kennedy of slashing over $11 billion in federal public health grants, laying off disease experts and removing all 17 members of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.
  • He also criticized the secretary for promoting unproven vitamin A treatments and for continuing to question vaccine safety despite acknowledging the MMR vaccine’s effectiveness.
  • Republican senators who supported Kennedy’s confirmation, including Bill Cassidy and Thom Tillis, have come under renewed scrutiny as the outbreak escalates.