RFK Jr praises anti-vaxxer hours after attending funeral of 8-year-old who died from measles | EUROtoday

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., is dealing with renewed scrutiny after praising the work of a health care provider who has been recognized for discussing the hazards of vaccines – whereas the secretary was attending the funeral of the second baby who died from the rampant West Texas measles outbreak.

Kennedy, who visited the outbreak space Sunday, attended the funeral of the unvaccinated unnamed 8-year-old woman: the second demise of a younger unvaccinated baby within the state. He wrote on social media that he was within the state to find out how federal staff can higher accomplice with Texas well being officers to regulate the unfold of the extremely contagious respiratory virus, noting that “the most effective way to prevent the spread of measles is the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine.”

Just hours later, Kennedy counseled the apply of “extraordinary healers” Dr. Ben Edwards and Richard Bartlett, “who have treated and healed some 300 measles-stricken Mennonite children using aerosolized budesonide and clarithromycin.” Edwards and Bartlett have reportedly each promoted drugs aside from vaccines to deal with illness.

Kennedy’s put up drew criticism from social media customers – as each males have been linked to controversial stances.

“B*****T BOBBY IS STILL QUOTING QUACKS,” wrote Dr. Jan Kirsch, a medical oncologist and hematologist in California.

“The Health Secretary is promoting quack doctors in the midst of a measles outbreak and literally nothing was more predictable,” stated Dr. Benjamin Mazer, a pathologist at Johns Hopkins Medicine.

“More evidence if any is needed, that Kennedy is unfit for his post. Drs. Bartlett & Edwards should have all accreditation removed if they are treating an acute viral infection with antibiotics,” stated Tony Owen, who was recognized on social media as a former member of the U.Okay.-based National Health Services.

Since taking cost of the nation’s prime well being companies and the federal response to the outbreak, Kennedy — who has lengthy been criticized for his promotion of anti-vaccine views — has tepidly endorsed the vaccines, that are 97 % efficient in opposition to the measles virus. The majority of physicians stress that they’re the way in which to cease the unfold, as an alternative of selling different remedies.

Dr. Ben Edwards has criticized measles vaccination and described mass an infection as “God’s version of measles immunization,” in line with The Washington Post. Edwards runs a wellness clinic in Lubbock that provides sufferers with vitamin C and cod liver oil, in line with The New York Times.

“A divine appointment in 2011 opened his eyes to the fact that U.S. medical schools only teach a very narrow way of disease and symptom management with pharmaceuticals instead of disease and symptom resolution by addressing root causes,” the Veritas Wellness website says.

The mother and father of the primary baby who died within the outbreak stated their different youngsters had milder instances of sickness due to the remedies from the clinic, which reportedly had assist from a web based fundraiser organized by Children’s Health Defense: the group led by Kennedy earlier than he launched his 2024 presidential run.

If youngsters who come to him have important bother respiratory, NBC News reported final month that Edwards recommends budesonide, an inhaled steroid sometimes used for bronchial asthma. Budesonide is used to deal with Crohn’s illness, nevertheless it’s not clear the way it might assist somebody with measles. People taking it are warned to keep away from publicity to measles, as it could actually enhance the chance of an infection.

Dr. Richard Bartlett, the opposite physician in Kennedy’s tweet, as soon as touted the steroid therapy as a remedy for Covid, calling it a “silver bullet.” In August of 2020, Bartlett advised a Christian radio station that he noticed a one hundred pc remedy charge in his clinic, together with amongst “the sickest of the sick.” Bartlett is a religious Christian and authored a guide in 2018 on “doctor confirmed miracles.” While an Oxford University examine initially gave credence to Bartlett’s claims, further evaluation and research forged doubt on the effectiveness of the therapy, in line with the Louisiana Illuminator.

Notably, Bartlett was disciplined by Texas medical regulators in 2003 for “unusual use of risk-filled medications.”

Both medical doctors — who Kennedy beforehand praised in an interview with Fox Nation — additionally reportedly distributed clarithromycin to deal with measles sufferers. Used to deal with pneumonia, the antibiotic could assist to forestall secondary bacterial infections, however the proof is proscribed. Doctors say it wouldn’t be a “first line choice” for measles.

Kennedy has stated that his division shall be operating medical trials on budesonide, clarithromycin and cod liver oil therapies. He has additionally promoted using vitamin A “as a prophylaxis.” He has additionally ordered a re-examination of a debunked hyperlink between the vaccines and autism.

Nearly 500 instances of measles have been reported in Texas since January. On Monday, the state’s well being authorities expanded the counties included within the designated outbreak space.

“It’s really important not to conflate what … [is] supportive or adjunctive care for measles versus curative treatment for measles,” Dr. Christina Johns, a pediatric emergency doctor at PM Pediatrics in Annapolis, Maryland, advised CNN. “There is no treatment for measles.”