US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. urges measles vaccination amid 35‑year case surge

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. measles outbreak vaccination CNN interview Dana Bash

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told CNN’s Dana Bash that parents should vaccinate their children against measles, noting the vaccine is about 97 % effective. The United States has recorded 2,371 confirmed measles cases in 2026, the highest annual total in 35 years, with roughly 93 % of infections occurring in unvaccinated individuals. Officials warn the surge could cause the country to lose its measles‑elimination status.

During the interview, Kennedy accused CNN of “press malpractice,” blamed Dr. Anthony Fauci for pandemic lockdowns, and claimed the lockdowns caused the greatest damage to the nation, citing the shutdown of 3.5 million businesses, churches and schools. He denied personal responsibility for the current measles outbreak. His statements were challenged by public‑health experts, including Dr. Ashish Jha, who said accountability rests with political leaders and called several of Kennedy’s claims factually false.

Entities: Anthony Fauci · Ashish Jha · CNN · Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) · Dana Bash · Dr. Anthony Fauci · Dr. Ashish Jha · Measles · Robert F. Kennedy Jr. · U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · United States measles outbreak

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

[● 3 SOURCES] Kennedy said lockdowns shut down 3.5 million businesses, schools and churches. (Kennedy)
[● 8 SOURCES] Robert F. Kennedy Jr. blamed Dr. Anthony Fauci for pandemic lockdowns. (new)
[● 3 SOURCES] Bash cited CDC/Harvard estimates that COVID‑19 vaccines prevented at least 232,000 deaths among unvaccinated U.S. adults. (Bash)
[○ 1 SOURCE] U.S. measles cases reached 2,371 in 2026, the highest in 35 years, with about 93 % of cases in unvaccinated people. (CDC data cited by Kennedy)
[● 3 SOURCES] Dr. Ashish Jha said accountability for the pandemic response lies with political leaders, not scientists, and called many of Kennedy’s statements factually false. (Jha)
[● 3 SOURCES] Robert F. Kennedy Jr. urged parents to vaccinate children against measles. (new)
[● 3 SOURCES] Kennedy claimed the United States had the highest COVID‑19 death rate in the world. (Kennedy)
[● 8 SOURCES] Robert F. Kennedy Jr. accused CNN of “press malpractice” during the pandemic. (new)
[● 4 SOURCES] The United States recorded 2,371 confirmed measles cases in 2026, the highest annual total in 35 years, with about 93 % of cases in unvaccinated people. (new)
[● 5 SOURCES] Robert F. Kennedy Jr. claimed lockdowns shut 3.5 million businesses, churches and schools, causing the greatest damage to the country. (new)
[● 5 SOURCES] Dr. Ashish Jha said accountability for the pandemic response lies with political leaders, not scientists, and called Kennedy’s statements factually false. (new)
[● 4 SOURCES] Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the measles vaccine is about 97 % effective. (new)