RFK Jr. ‘never said anything’ about the vaccine, says the father of the Texas child who died of measles

On Sunday, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. visited the families of two unvaccinated children who died of measles. Following his visit, Kennedy, in his X post stressed that vaccines are the best way to prevent the measles spread. However, the HHS Secretary seems to have not mentioned the vaccines, while he met the families.
Pete Hildebrand, the father of eight-year-old Daisy Hildebrand, who died of measles, told The Guardian that Kennedy did not talk about the vaccine’s efficacy when he visited them and the community during the child’s funeral.
The father of the deceased told the outlet on Monday that the Secretary did not say that the vaccine was effective. “I had supper with the guy… and he never said anything about that,” Hildebrand said. His comment came in as a response to the publicized visit at the child’s funeral.

After visiting the families affected by measles, Kennedy wrote a lengthy note on X, where he said, “I came to Gaines County, Texas, today to comfort the Hildebrand family after the loss of their 8-year-old daughter Daisy. I got to know the family of 6-year-old Kayley Fehr after she passed away in February. I also developed bonds with and deep affection for other members of this community during that difficult time. My intention was to come down here quietly to console the families and to be with the community in their moment of grief.”
Kennedy, who is known for his vaccine-skeptic views, however, said, “The most effective way to prevent the spread of measles is the MMR vaccine.”

He also added that he had deployed a CDC team in early March to strengthen local and state response efforts across several regions in Texas, including 'supply pharmacies and Texas run clinics with needed MMR vaccines and other medicines and medical supplies'.

Kennedy endorsing MMR vaccines as the ‘most effective way’ to prevent measles didn’t sit well with his supporters. It is worth mentioning that in March, when he wrote an editorial piece for Fox News, he downplayed the importance of vaccination, and said, “The decision to vaccinate is a personal one.” The HHS Secretary’s sudden change of heart has come as a surprise to health experts, political leaders, and anti-vaccine supporters.

Meanwhile, Hildebrand stood by his skepticism of vaccines. He stated that it is 'not effective' because some of his family members got the vaccine, and according to him 'they got the measles way worse than some of my kids'. Hildebrand is raising two other children with his wife Eva, stating that the vaccine 'was not effective'.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says, “Being vaccinated is the best way to prevent getting sick with measles or spreading it to other people. The vaccine is safe and helps your body fight off the virus.”

As of Apr. 7, there are 642 confirmed cases of measles across 22 states, 499 of those in Texas. Three deaths have been reported so far. The measles cases have risen dramatically in the past month, especially compared to the previous year (2024), where US has reported a total of 285 measles cases.