In the first test of the Trump administration’s ability to respond to the emergency of infectious diseases, the chief health authorities have been far from one of the most important tools of the government on Sunday, experts said on Sunday.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a health minister, was widely criticized for minimizing the onset of measles in Texas West Texas on Wednesday. In social media posts fridayHe made a new tactic, saying that the outbreak was a “top priority” for his department, health and human service.
He focused on various ways to support Texas. Among them, Kennedy did not advise Americans to hold their children guns to their children.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is part of HHS, did not see the first real notice of occurrence until last Thursday, almost a month after the first report in Texas was reported.
Dr. Michael Oterholm, a historian and former health official at Minnesota University, said, “They shouted with whisper.”
“I’m afraid that their hands are tied,” he added.
CDC officials did not immediately respond to the request.
Measles in Texas West Texas killed more than 140 residents and killed one child. The lukewarm exemption and lukewarm approval of rare federal updates are especially associated with scientists, especially in light of the long performance of Kennedy’s distrust of vaccines.
Over the years, he suggested that vaccines for measles, fashionability and rubella are related to autism, and the development of measles was mostly “produced” for the benefit of drug manufacturers.
If Texas’s onset provides a window for approach to public health, some researchers say there’s a problem with the future.
Health officials in the state said they do not need a wide range of federal support, but future occurrences in other places may not be managed without federal support. “This can be called a dress rehearsal,” said Catherine Troisi, a epidemiologist of UTHELTH HOUSTON PULIC HELITH SCHOOL OF PULIC HELIC HEALTH.
She added: “A bad dress rehearsal in the theater means a good performance. I am convinced that it is not actually a public health. ”
In the past measles, CDC often plays a leading role in educating the public about the dangers of virus contracts and the importance of MMR vaccination.
This institution, which broke out in New York in 2019 during President Trump’s first term, press release We urge medical service providers to reassure the patient for the safety of the vaccine and criticize a group that conveys information that is misunderstood.
At the time, the Ministry of Health, Alex M. Azar II wrote in a accompanying statement that measles were “very infectious and potentially threatening life.”
“As a safe and effective vaccine protecting from measles, we can avoid the pain we see.”
This time the messaging is much more muted.
When the CDC issued the first public statement on the outbreak, measles spread to nine counties in Texas, and nine additional incidents occurred at the New Mexican border.
This statement once mentions vaccinations, saying, “It remains the best defense of measles.”
When asked about the incident in Texas on Wednesday, Kennedy said that the outbreak was “not abnormal.”
He did not mention the vaccine. Kennedy emphasized his department in his position on social media that he will continue to fund Texas’ vaccination program. But he did not explicitly require Americans to shoot.
Instead, the vaccination campaign was mainly left to state and local officials. Texas often had news conferences, actively promoting vaccine clinics and deleting wrong information.
Senator Bill Catidy, the cause of Louisiana, is a doctor, a decisive vote to confirm his position in his position, and urged Texas residents to confirm their latest status of measles vaccination.
But viruses, which are as infectious as measles, do not respect the national boundaries, and CDC should provide larger national maps and leadership, Dr. Osterholm said.
“All locations can be the next hotspot tomorrow.” He said.
On Friday, Texas, the capital Austin, reported measles in infants who were not exposed to exposed vaccinations during international travel.
