RFK Jr Praises Doctor Who Treated Kids While Infected with Measles
Introduction to the Controversy
A Texas doctor who has been treating children in a measles outbreak was shown on video with a measles rash on his face in a clinic a week before Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. met him and praised him as an “extraordinary” healer.
Dr. Ben Edwards appeared in the video posted March 31 by the anti-vaccine group Kennedy once led, Children’s Health Defense. In it, Edwards appears wearing scrubs and talking with parents and children in a makeshift clinic he set up in Seminole, Texas, ground zero of the outbreak that has sickened hundreds of people and killed three, including two children.
The Video and Its Implications
Edwards is asked whether he had measles, and he responded, “Yes,” then said his infection started the day before the video was recorded. “Yesterday was pretty achy. Little mild fever. Spots came in the afternoon. Today, I woke up feeling good,” Edwards said in the video. Measles is most contagious for about four days before and four days after the rash appears and is one of the world’s most contagious diseases, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Doctors and public health experts said Edwards’ decision to go into the clinic put children, their parents and their community at risk because he could have spread it to others.
Reaction from Health Officials
Kennedy met with Edwards about a week after the video was posted by Children’s Health Defense, the group Kennedy led for years until December. In an April 6 post on X, Kennedy said he “visited with these two extraordinary healers,” including Edwards and another doctor, and praised their use of two unproven treatments for measles. Even as measles has exploded in Texas and spread across the country, Kennedy, the nation’s top health official, has declined to consistently and forcefully encourage people to vaccinate their children and remind them that the vaccine is safe.
Concerns from Medical Professionals
Dr. Diego Hijano, a pediatric infectious disease expert from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, answers your questions on how the MMR vaccine can protect your kids from the measles. Dr. Craig Spencer, a medical doctor who is also a professor at the Brown University School of Public Health, said Kennedy’s post drawing attention to Edwards is inappropriate but unsurprising given Kennedy’s record. "I think is unfortunately perfectly on-brand for how he thinks that medicine should be practiced," Spencer said. "And that is what makes me remarkably uncomfortable and extremely concerned and scared for the next three-and-a-half years.”
Defense and Criticism
It was unclear whether Kennedy knew that Edwards had gone into his clinic while infected with measles before meeting him. A spokesperson for Kennedy said he is not anti-vaccine and that he is “committed to improving children’s health in America and has re-deployed resources to Texas to help with the current outbreak.” Edwards told The Associated Press in an email that he “interacted with zero patients that were not already infected with measles” during the time he was infectious. However, Jessica Steier, a public health scientist, said the video shows Edwards in the room with people who do not appear sick, including parents of sick children and the people who visited the clinic from Children’s Health Defense.
Conclusion
The situation highlights the controversy surrounding Kennedy’s stance on vaccination and his promotion of unproven treatments. As the head of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, his actions and words have significant implications for public health. The measles outbreak in Texas and its spread across the country underscore the importance of vaccination and evidence-based medical practices.
FAQs
- Q: Who is Dr. Ben Edwards?
A: Dr. Ben Edwards is a Texas doctor who treated children in a measles outbreak while being infected with measles himself. - Q: What did Robert F. Kennedy Jr. do?
A: Kennedy met with Dr. Edwards and praised him as an “extraordinary” healer, despite Edwards treating patients while infected with measles. - Q: What are the concerns about Dr. Edwards’ actions?
A: Medical professionals and public health experts are concerned that Dr. Edwards put children, their parents, and the community at risk by treating patients while being contagious with measles. - Q: What is the stance of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on vaccination?
A: Kennedy has been criticized for not consistently and forcefully encouraging vaccination and for promoting unproven treatments, which has raised concerns about his approach to public health as the head of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
