WATCH: Best way to prevent measles is MMR vaccine, RFK Jr. affirms

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has long cast doubt on the safety and efficacy of vaccines, said in a hearing Tuesday that the MMR vaccine is the best way to prevent measles. Republican Sen. Jerry Moran told Kennedy that his home state of Kansas is one of several places facing a measles outbreak right now, and that the majority of affected patients were unvaccinated or unsure about their vaccination status. Moran asked if there was anything that the Department of Health and Human Services needed to support state-level response. Kennedy, the founder of an anti-vaccine nonprofit organization, said “the best way to prevent the spread of measles is through vaccination. We urge people to get their MMR vaccines.” To limit the spread of measles, communities need a vaccination or immunity rate of 92-94%, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Kennedy also claimed that the U.S. has “done a better job at controlling measles since I came into this agency than any other country in the world.” Subscribe: Newsletters: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/subscribe PBS NewsHour podcasts: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/podcasts Stream your PBS favorites with the PBS app: https://to.pbs.org/2Jb8twG Find more from PBS NewsHour at https://www.pbs.org/newshour Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/2HfsCD6 Follow us: TikTok:   / pbsnews   Twitter:   / newshour   Instagram:   / newshour   Facebook: http://www.pbs.org/newshour