In Providence, Rhode Island, concerns have surfaced following a video showing Texas physician Dr. Ben Edwards with a measles rash while working in a clinic amidst an ongoing outbreak. A week after this footage was posted, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. met with and lauded Edwards for his healing abilities. The video, shared on March 31 by Children’s Health Defense—a group once led by Kennedy—depicted Edwards interacting with families in Seminole, Texas, the epicenter of a measles outbreak claiming three lives, including two children. Edwards confirmed in the video that he had contracted measles, noting, “Yesterday was pretty achy. Little mild fever. Spots came in the afternoon. Today, I woke up feeling good.”
Measles, renowned for its contagious nature, can spread about four days before and after rash onset. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states it as one of the most infectious illnesses globally. Edwards’ decision to enter the clinic posed a risk to children, their parents, and the wider community, according to health experts. They emphasized that under no circumstances was his decision reasonable.
Kennedy, who met with Edwards shortly after the video release, commended Edwards and another practitioner for their use of unconventional, unverified measles treatments in an April 6 post. Despite escalating measles cases in Texas and nationwide, Kennedy has not consistently advocated for vaccinations, notes Dr. Craig Spencer of Brown University School of Public Health, calling it “remarkably uncomfortable and extremely concerning.”
Uncertainty lingers over Kennedy’s awareness of Edwards’ condition prior to their meeting. A spokesperson maintains Kennedy is not against vaccines and aims to enhance American children’s health, directing resources to Texas amid the outbreak. However, the reason for Kennedy’s focus on Edwards, rather than unaffected physicians tackling the outbreak in West Texas, remains unanswered.
Edwards, through an email response, assured the media that he interacted only with patients already diagnosed with measles, stating emphatically that no non-infected individuals were endangered. Nonetheless, public health expert Jessica Steier highlighted the video’s depiction of Edwards’ interaction with seemingly healthy individuals, questioning his diagnostic approach and failure to wear a mask. Steier argues the context did not warrant a sick physician’s involvement, as non-infected providers were available.
Children’s Health Defense has launched legal proceedings against news agencies, including an antitrust lawsuit, over alleged misinformation handling related to the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccines. Dr. Paul Offit, a pediatrician at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, criticized Kennedy’s irresponsible promotion of unsubstantiated measles treatments, linking it to his historical anti-vaccine stance. “He’s not the director of Children’s Health Defense anymore. He’s responsible for the health and well-being of children in this country,” Offit stated, emphasizing the emergency nature of the outbreak, contrary to Kennedy’s handling of it.