Doctor reacts to RFK Jr.'s anti-vax speech amid measles outbreak

The United States is facing its largest measles  outbreak in decades. And when it comes to that, as we've been covering it here so closely in terms  of what you heard last night from the governor of. Pennsylvania and what this looks like, the count  so far is 3,000 cases just this year of a disease. that was declared eliminated in 2000. And the  spike right now that we're seeing comes amid. declining vaccine rates. Even though the CDC still  says the MMR vaccine is the best way to protect. against measles. But that was not the message  that the health secretary Robert F. Kennedy.

Jr. delivered at an antivaccine conference today  organized by a group that he once led. Instead, he fueled concerns about vaccines. Now, it's  highly likely that most of these injuries are. very rare. We don't know. Anybody who tells  you that is not talking about science. There's. no way for us to know this. And even if they  are rare in our country, we care about rare.

illnesses and deaths. We care about every child  who dies from measles. They get headlines. We should care about the children,  shouldn't we? I'd ask you care about. children who are dying or suffering or  being injured by vaccine injuries. And.

that was the health secretary's only mention  of the measles outbreak that has now been. linked to four deaths in Pennsylvania. The  CDC, which the health secretary oversees, is not acknowledging those fatalities on its  measles dashboard, as you can see here. And. as Governor Josh Shapiro noted last night, is  an issue between Pennsylvania and the federal. government. RFK though did today during his  speech bring up a long debunked conspiracy theory. We're also looking at chemtrails  and the impact of emissions.

emissions from uh from aircraft and those  potential impacts on health. Now, chemtrails, the idea that the streaks that you see behind  planes are secretly chemical sprays is not a. thing. Contrails, which is short for condensation  trails, are scientists say that what you're seeing. in the sky is just frozen water vapor. But for  more on what we are seeing play out across the.

United States tonight, it is a serious issue.  My medical s source tonight is Dr. Ashish Ja, who is a physician who's led research on pandemic  preparedness and emerging diseases. And I should. note President Biden appointed him as the White  House CO 19 response coordinator. And doctor, it's great to have you here because obviously  this has become more of an issue than I think some. people would think. where we would be reckoning  with in 2026. And I wonder what you took away from. what you heard from RFK Jr. today. Well, first  of all, Caitlyn, thanks for having me back. Um,

he is our health secretary. He is the person in  charge of health for America. And I will tell you, it is disappointing to hear him talking  about chemtrails. He was talking about. uh electromagnetic radiation. Look, we have real  health problems in our country. 40,000 women died. last year of breast cancer. I'd like him to be  talking about that. More than a thousand kids. died of of cancer, of childhood cancers. I'd like  him talking about that. Instead, he is spreading. conspiracy theories that isn't going to help  anybody. And it was just it was just disappointing.

to hear that from our health secretary. You know,  we spoke to the governor of Pennsylvania last. night who's been dealing with this issue certainly  in his state. We talked about the number of cases. they're dealing with in half of their counties.  It's become a deadly outbreak. And this is part. of what he said to me about when I asked him, you  know, who do you hold responsible? He pointedly. multiple times said RFK Jr. I think RFK is doing  great destruction in this country by stoking this.

vaccine skepticism. The vaccines is what's going  to slow this spread down. But make no mistake, all across this country, we are seeing a measel's  outbreak because of RFK and and the nonsense, the phony information, the misinformation that he  is purposely spreading that is making our country. sicker and has claimed the lives of now four  people in Pennsylvania and has sickened over.

700. Does it surprise you to hear that? I mean,  there's been a public back and forth between RFK. Jr. and Josh Shapiro over this, and every time  there's a death or an outbreak in Pennsylvania, it seems to be a major issue between the two of  them. But what do you make of this fight playing. out as someone who has served in the federal  government in a in a prominent health role? Yeah, it's it's super disappointing. I mean look  um there is not a single serious human being. in America or the world who questions both the  efficacy and the safety of the m of the measles.

vaccine. Um what Governor Shapiro is saying is  that four of his citizens have died. Hundreds have. gotten sickened and let's be very clear the person  who has been leading the effort to cast doubts on. the measles vaccines for decades is currently our  health secretary. So, it is not surprising that. the governor puts his blame there. It is incumbent  on our health secretary, Secretary Kennedy,

to come out and be far more forceful about telling  Americans that they need to get vaccinated. And. he just hasn't done that. You you mentioned, you  know, what the health secretary was saying today. What about the group that he was speaking  in front of, the Children's Health Defense? You know, I have I have so many feelings and  thoughts about the Children's Health Defense. Um, they are a I mean, they're first of all, they're  just an antivaccine organization. They're not.

uh questioning the science or questioning the  data. They're just antivaccine. Um, and they have. manipulated um a whole host of issues where where  Americans anytime Americans feel distrust of the. health care system, they exploit that to question  the efficacy and safety of vaccines. I have to say. I actually was shocked that Secretary Kennedy went  there. I thought he was trying to distance himself. from the organization. The fact that the sitting  secretary of health went to the most prominent. antivaccine group and spoke there um really should  make all of us worried about the direction of.

health in our country. Well, and not only that, I  mean, he said that they had a steadfast strong and. steadfast friend at the White House was the quote  that he that he said to them. Yeah. Can I can I. actually push back on Secretary Kennedy on that?  I don't actually think that's true. I mean, look, I have plenty of disagreements with with President  Trump, but if you actually look at President. Trump's track record is not an antivaccine track  record. He oversaw the development of Operation.

Warp Speed, the most effective governmentrun  vaccine development program. Even on MMR, I mean, I disagree with him about splitting the doses, but  he has never said that measles vaccines are not. effective. So, I think Secretary Kennedy is trying  to have it both ways. In fact, he understands that. the White House is not behind him. That's why the  White House chose CDC leadership that's actually. very pro vaccine. I understand what Secretary  Kenny what Secretary Kennedy is doing, but I think. he's wrong. I think actually the White House is  pretty pro vaccine. Can you also weigh in on what.

we heard today that about the CO 19 vaccines that  are not yet available from the CDC for a program. that covers access for about half of the children  here in the United States? They had been approved. a few weeks ago. Do you read into that as a as  a delay? What do you make of that? Yeah, this. is pretty troubling and let me lay out why. Look,  reasonable people can disagree on whether healthy. children should be getting the COVID vaccine. I  think on average they probably should, but it's.

not a big deal if they don't. Nobody disagrees  with the idea that imunompromised kids, let's. say a child undergoing chemotherapy, they need the  COVID vaccine. The federal government blocking the. the distribution of vaccines through the vaccines  for children's program, I think shocks the. conscience. I understand that they're antivaccine.  I understand HHS does not want kids vaccinated, but preventing parents from protecting their  children, their most vulnerable children, is not.

something we should accept. And that's what really  upsets me about what's going on on this. Dr. Ashish Ja, great to have you as always here on the  program. Thank you for joining us. Thank you sa.