The Relentless School Nurse: Watch What They Do, Not What They Say

The Baltimore Sun recently published READERS COMMENTARY,  New Health Secretary’s Promises Don’t Add Up, co-authored by Timothy Holtz, MD, and Teri Mills, RN serves as a critical response to Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s confirmation as the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). Their concerns stem from Kennedy’s history of promoting conspiracy theories and undermining public health systems, which they aptly document will have disastrous consequences for public health, particularly in the context of ongoing health crises like the measles outbreak in Texas. I have included a file at the end of the blog post where you can access the full text of the commentary. 

Kennedy’s confirmation on February 13, 2025, in a Senate vote of 52-48, has been met with significant opposition from public health professionals, but to no avail.  His misguided appointment places him in charge of a vast agency with a budget exceeding a trillion dollars, overseeing critical health agencies like the CDC, FDA, NIH, and CMS. Kennedy’s confirmation hearings were marked by intense scrutiny over his views on vaccines, with senators questioning his understanding of essential health programs like Medicaid and Medicare. Despite his public global anti-vax stance, Kennedy acknowledged during the hearings that vaccines have saved millions of lives. 

In a jarring example of  “watch what they do, not what they say,” Kennedy’s first actions as HHS Secretary have already displayed complete disregard for public health and safety. Despite assurances to Senator and physician Bill Cassidy that he would not alter the nation’s vaccination schedule, Kennedy announced an investigation into the childhood vaccine schedule shortly after his confirmation, a move that has been criticized given the current measles outbreak in Texas. This outbreak has now claimed the life of an unvaccinated school-aged child, marking the first measles-related death in the United States in a decade. The outbreak, which began in late January, has affected at least 124 individuals, predominantly children, in the rural regions of West Texas. 

Kennedy said the latest outbreak is not out of the ordinary. The measles was eradicated in 2000, there is nothing ordinary about a measles outbreak or the death of a child due to a vaccine-preventable disease like measles. Yet, this is verbatim what  Kennedy said at the most recent Cabinet meeting:

“Incidentally, there have been four measles outbreaks this year in this country,” he said. “Last year, there were 16. So it’s not unusual. We have measles outbreaks every year.” RFK Jr. HHS Secretary 2/26/25 

According to the CDC website, one of the key agencies under Kennedy’s prevue, his recent declaration does not match the published data on measles outbreaks.

There have been three outbreaks (defined as 3 or more related cases) reported in 2025. Of those, 92% of cases are outbreak-associated. In 2024, 16 outbreaks were reported and 69% of cases were outbreak-associated.

Advocacy for public health has never been more consequential. Thank you, Teri Mills, who I nicknamed the OpEd Nurse for her prolific writing and publishing perspective pieces in news outlets across the country, for sharing another excellent publication! I am going to remember this mantra that Teri shared with me, a message for all of us:

ADVOCATE, LEGISLATE, AGITATE