Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr has shifted his stance on the US measles outbreak, now calling it "serious" after previously describing it as "not unusual". The outbreak has sickened over 140 children in western Texas,

Kennedy's acknowledgement of the value of the measles vaccine comes as the outbreak that began in Texas continues to grow. So far, nearly 150 cases and one death—the first U.S. fatality from the disease in more than 10 years—have been confirmed. It's the largest measles outbreak in the U.S. in decades.

Measles was considered to be eliminted in the U.S. in 2000, thanks to vaccine developments. But vaccination rates have dropped since the covid pandemic began.