RFK Jr.’s Anti-Vaccine Rhetoric Suffers a Setback as America Reports More Than 2700 Cases of Measles
People are dying, the time for debate is over.
United States Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy has campaigned hard for the last couple of years to change immunization practices in the U.S. Many, including Congressman Mike Thompson, have accused him of basing his movement largely on conspiracy theories.
Despite widespread criticism, Kennedy’s ideas took effect in an executive order Trump signed on August 10, 2026, which limited recommended childhood immunizations to 11, a significant drop from the 18 recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. The order also suggested separating the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccines into three single-disease shots given on separate visits, rather than a combined shot.
Now, according to recent updates, measles cases, which were thought to have been eliminated in 2000 in the U.S., are on the rise. The Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy notes that as of August 20, 2026, 2,777 confirmed measles cases have been reported in the United States. They also highlight that there have been two reported measles-related deaths in Pennsylvania, the first time in 35 years.
Kennedy and Shapiro have been beefing on social media
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro blamed Kennedy for spreading anti-vaccine rhetoric, and linked it to the measles outbreaks. Shapiro said he spoke with Kennedy on the phone on Tuesday after the deaths occurred, telling reporters that the conversation was “blunt” and criticized Kennedy for spreading misinformation, urging him to promote vaccination.
Kennedy, on the other hand, is accusing Shapiro of withholding critical information related to it. The Axios article mentions that on Wednesday, Kennedy stated Shapiro’s office had not shared details about the deaths with the CDC. He also previously accused Shapiro of falsely claiming that measles was responsible.
In a social media post on Wednesday, Kennedy blamed Shapiro for accusing him of spreading vaccine misinformation, something Trump has been accused of in the past as well. “At his press conference today, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro accused me of promoting conspiracy theories because I told him, during an earlier telephone conversation, that some Americans had religious objections to the MMR vaccine because it contained fetal tissue,” Kennedy said.
Kennedy also alleged that Shapiro accused him of being responsible for declining vaccination rates in Pennsylvania. He wrote, “During our phone conversation, Governor Shapiro also accused me of promoting vaccine misinformation. When I asked him for an example, he was unable to provide one.” He added, “Governor Shapiro also faulted me for the decline in Pennsylvania vaccination rates from 97% to 93.2%.”
Later, in a retaliatory post, Shapiro wrote that Kennedy’s post was “inaccurate” and “misleading.” Among the many things Shapiro wrote about Kennedy, he pointed out that during their phone call, instead of addressing the measles outbreak, he “chose to go down a rabbit hole of conspiracy theories and false claims.” He also said, “Secretary Kennedy’s actions to dismantle public health agencies and his language that undermines confidence in vetted medical guidance are contributing to these kinds of outbreaks.”
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