Department of Health Confirms CDC Did Not Release Measles Assessment

Multiple states have been dealing with outbreaks of measles.

A sign at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention headquarters in Atlanta, Ga., on Aug. 25, 2023. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducted a risk assessment for measles but did not release it to the public, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has confirmed.

“CDC did not release the measles risk assessment because it does not say anything that the public doesn’t already know: the risk of measles virus is low for the overall U.S. population, and high for communities with low vaccination rates in areas with active measles outbreaks or with close social and/or geographic linkages to areas with active measles outbreaks,” an HHS spokesperson told The Epoch Times in an April 3 email.

The CDC, which has been referring all queries in recent days to HHS, did not respond to a request for comment.

The Epoch Times has filed a Freedom of Information Act request for the assessment.

Measles is a contagious disease that can cause symptoms such as high fever and rash. A small number of cases lead to death.

Measles outbreaks have cropped up in multiple states this year, including in Texas and New Mexico. Some 483 cases have been confirmed across 20 states as of late March, with 93 percent being listed by the CDC as associated with outbreaks.

Just 3 percent of the cases have records of measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccination; the rest are unvaccinated or have an unknown vaccination status.

“CDC continues to recommend MMR vaccines as the best way to protect against measles,” the HHS spokesperson said. “The decision to vaccinate is a personal one. People should consult with their healthcare provider to understand their options to get a vaccine and should be informed about the potential risks and benefits associated with vaccines.”

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who in the past said no vaccines are safe and effective, offered a similar position in a March op-ed as the number of measles cases in the United States rose.

“All parents should consult with their healthcare providers to understand their options to get the MMR vaccine,” Kennedy wrote at the time. “The decision to vaccinate is a personal one. Vaccines not only protect individual children from measles, but also contribute to community immunity, protecting those who are unable to be vaccinated due to medical reasons.”

The MMR vaccine is typically administered in a two-dose series, with the first dose advised when children are 1 year old. The CDC says one dose is 94 percent effective and two doses are 97 percent effective.

Side effects of the vaccine include fever and nervous system disorders.

No medicines are specifically authorized in the United States for measles. Kennedy has said that measles patients have shown improvement when given vitamin A and supportive treatments such as steroids.

According to the University of California, treatment for measles “is generally supportive such as IV fluids if patients are dehydrated, or respiratory support such as supplemental oxygen if they are having difficulty breathing.”