Bobby's 2nd Statement on Texas Measles Cases

Hope deferred makes the heart grow sick

OK. Deep breath here.

Last week I started a thread on on twitter to evaluate bobby's actions on a case by case basis. Our community's expectations of bobby are high, and honestly, even if he is working at maimum effort and highest principles, he is unlikely to be able to live up to all those expectations. After all, even if he is an earnest man, he is in an Evil town. I know, I grew up there.

Bobby is in one of those blobs on the right. Close to that stadium that was named after his father

I started that thread as an attempt as an attempt at some sort of objectivity surrounding what he is doing. What follows is an expansion on thing #18. Please follow me and that thread.

This one is hard for me to be objective about. Does not feel good and is a mixed bag. Bobby went to visit the two families that the media has erroniously reported died from measles and makes a statement:

Secretary Kennedy

“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. I am also here to support Texas health officials and to learn how our HHS agencies can better partner with them to control the measles outbreak, which as of today, there are 642 confirmed cases of measles across 22 states, 499 of those in Texas. In early March, I deployed a CDC team to bolster local and state capacity for response across multiple Texas regions, supply pharmacies and Texas run clinics with needed MMR vaccines and other medicines and medical supplies, work with local schools and healthcare facilities to support contact investigations, and to reach out to communities, including faith leaders, to answer any questions or respond to locations seeking healthcare. Since that time, the growth rates for new cases and hospitalizations have flattened. The most effective way to prevent the spread of measles is the MMR vaccine. I’ve spoken to Governor Abbott, and I’ve offered HHS’ continued support. At his request, we have redeployed CDC teams to Texas. We will continue to follow Texas’ lead and to offer similar resources to other affected jurisdictions.“

1. Bobby actually went to see the families himself to learn about the cases himself. I have never heard of a health secretary that actually got face to face with a family like this. Bobby gets a plus one for treating them like humans.

We already know that neither case is an actual measles death, but both died from medical negligence. Having visited both families Kennedy can now attest to the fact that neither were measles deaths. + 1

2. But Bobby did not attest to the fact that neither were measles deaths. - 1

3. He is in open dialogue with health officials on how to treat measles. We saw this in his last measles statement where he discussed vitamin A treatment. For several years, we have been discussing the fact that the wild measles will be returning because we have become biologically dependent on MMR vaccine immunity, which has at least a 3% failure rate when administered, and wains with time. Additionally since most mothers are MMR vaccinated and not passing on naturally acquired immunity, we face kind of immunity collapse. And that is even IF families seeing all the damage done by shot were not skipping the MMR. So it is important that doctors actually learn how to treat measles, because when treated properly it is not a deadly infection. + 1

4a. He included this statement, "The most effective way to prevent the spread of measles is the MMR vaccine." Now this is a 100% factually true statement. Both wild measles and vaccine strain measles, are the measles. Both can cause the exact same damage, but this is not a statement about safety, he made a statement about efficacy. And is is a true statement. The wild measles spreads much more quickly and far reaching then any case of vaccine strain measles that I have ever heard of.

This was an opportunity however to also discuss the safety of the MMR which has lead to vacine abstension, which he chose not to take. It may be that these two families did not get the MMR because of safety reasons, but we don't know that for sure. They may have skipped the shot for religious reasons. However we do know that vaccine rejection for safety reasons is a part of this and other outbreaks. This is his second opportunity to discuss the vaccine safety problem surrounding MMR that he has chosen to forgo. - 1

b. Although this technically is not a vaccine recommendation (he did not, as health officials always do, say go “out and get the shot”) it feels like one and will be received like one by many people. - 1

5. "Is he waiting for...”? “ When is he going to...”? I do not know because he has not said. None of us can read his mind. +/- 0

Look. I am not going to criticize anybody for being disappointed. Nor am I going to laud anyone for trusting Bobby. I started off that twitter thread telling everyone that I don't trust anyone, and when anyone becomes a public official I trust them even less than that. After all, everyone is a flawed human I am telling you now if i ever become a gubment official with any power, don't trust me. Anybody feeling any kind of way about Bobby right now is entitled to their feelings. No judgment.

I want Bobby to do great thing for us, but the Good Book says to hope in God only.

I do encourage everyone to not tear Bobby down, as we're not gonna get anyone better in that position.

It is very clear that he is wedged in between fixing the problems, and getting thrown out. I believe that we need to endeavor to be fair to him, while we constructively advocate for what we want. (Our job is the same this year as it has been every year.) If a hot head like me were hired on day one they would be fired on day 2.

We can return to what he said to us he was going to do before he entered the office, to reset our expectations. If not, we are set to go on a 4 year emotional rollercoaster.

Rome was not renovated in a day.