A Texas father whose 8-year-old daughter died of measles has sparked controversy after defending his anti-vaccine beliefs, claiming vaccinated relatives suffered "way worse."
Texas, particularly Gaines County, has been one of the hardest-hit areas, with over 300 confirmed measles cases since January, according to the Guardian.
The outbreak has proven deadly, especially among the unvaccinated, with three deaths reported so far, including two young girls—Daisy Hildebrand and Kayley Fehr—from the close-knit Mennonite community in Seminole, Texas.
Despite decades of scientific consensus supporting the safety and effectiveness of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, vaccine hesitancy continues to fuel outbreaks in under-vaccinated areas.
Pete Hildebrand, the father of 8-year-old Daisy who died last week from measles pulmonary failure, continues to publicly reject vaccines, stating in an interview Monday that vaccinated members of his extended family experienced worse cases than his unvaccinated kids.
"I know it's not effective because some family members ended up getting the vaccine, and they got the measles way worse than some of my kids," said Hildebrand. "The vaccine was not effective."
His comments came just one day after burying Daisy and sharing a meal with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who, according to Hildebrand, never directly addressed the vaccine's efficacy during the visit.
Kennedy, a known vaccine skeptic now leading the federal response to the outbreak, later issued a carefully worded public statement calling the MMR vaccine the "most effective" way to prevent measles—but also praised non-traditional treatments like vitamins and cod liver oil used by alternative practitioners.
Public health officials continue to stress the urgency of widespread MMR vaccination, especially among vulnerable and insular communities like the one in Seminole.
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