Former US surgeon general: America is getting a crash course in herd immunity

The former US surgeon general says Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s tenure will not be defined by his work on nutrition or chronic disease but by how he responds to an inexorably increasing number of vaccine-preventable disease outbreaks.

The ongoing measles outbreak has reached three states and serves as a stark reminder of the vital role that herd immunity plays in safeguarding our communities. Originating in Gaines County, Texas, the outbreak has now resulted in 321 reported cases, with 38 hospitalizations and two deaths, including a school-age child who was unvaccinated. The initial epicenter within a Texas Mennonite community highlights how declining vaccination rates can lead to rapid disease transmission. While some may believe that abstaining from vaccination keeps them healthier or more resistant to diseases, the reality is that their “immunity” has, until now, been borrowed from their vaccinated neighbors. This collective shield, known as herd immunity, is not automatic or enduring; it has been built over decades through high vaccination rates. Unfortunately, this protection is now eroding due to rising vaccine skepticism. Herd immunity works by ensuring that a high enough portion of the population is vaccinated so that highly contagious diseases like measles can’t find a vulnerable “host” to spread to. This strategy protects those who cannot receive vaccines for medical reasons — and even those who refuse them for personal beliefs. However, as vaccine skepticism grows, many who have unwittingly benefited from herd immunity in the past are now at greater risk — ironically, from themselves. A significant driver of current skepticism has been Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the nonprofit organization he led, Children’s Health Defense, which has spread vaccine mistrust and misinformation for years. Ironically — or perhaps inevitably — now that Kennedy is secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services, he faces the largest measles outbreak in Texas and the first child death from measles in over 20 years. Recently, at President Donald Trump’s first Cabinet meeting, Kennedy acknowledged the death but seemed to dismiss the outbreak as “not unusual,” drawing widespread criticism.