Gov. Josh Green blasts misinformation on measles

Gov. Josh Green had strong words regarding the ongoing measles crisis in the U.S., calling it an entirely preventable situation.

During a news conference Tuesday hosted by Protect Our Care, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit, Green lambasted U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for spreading misinformation about vaccines that prevent diseases such as measles.

“What’s happening today with measles is absolutely public health malpractice, and it’s completely preventable, ” he said. “In this first year of the President’s second term, they’ve kind of taken the gloves off and allowed Secretary Kennedy to just run roughshod over policy.”

Green said the Trump administration has laid a foundation of distrust, and “now you’re seeing the terrible outcomes.”

The criticism comes as the number of confirmed measles cases in South Carolina ballooned to due to an outbreak there that began in October, affecting numerous schools.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported new measles cases in at least nine states this year. The U.S. on Tuesday marked 12 straight months of measles transmission, which puts the nation at jeopardy of losing its measles elimination status.

Green, along with Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, an infectious disease physician, and Dr. Annie Andrews, a pediatrician living in South Carolina, all blamed RFK’s misinformation campaign for the current situation.

Daskalakis, also former director for CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said the measles resurgence was not random.

It’s the result of RFK questioning the safety and efficacy of vaccines, including those for measles, mumps and rubella that helped the U.S. bring measles deaths to nearly zero. Now the U.S. is in the midst of the largest outbreak since 1991, he said, with RFK’s spread of myths about vaccines fueling resistance in the most vulnerable communities.

“If we lose measles elimination status, it will be a clear indicator that our public health infrastructure needs urgent revitalization, ” he said, “and that we must commit to science-driven policies rather than the ideological policies that we have seen in the last year.”

In a statement, U.S. Health and Human Services press secretary Emily Hilliard said these claims were baseless.

“Under Secretary Kennedy, CDC surged resources, and multiple states declared measles outbreaks over in 2025, ” she said in an email. “Vaccination remains the most effective way to prevent measles, and the Secretary has been clear and consistent on this point. All vaccines on the CDC schedule, including MMR, remain covered by insurance, so families do not need to pay out of pocket to get vaccinated.”

She added that declines in measles vaccination rates and erosion of public trust began well before the current administration.

“Public confidence in health institutions was significantly undermined during the COVID era, particularly in states that imposed prolonged mandates and delivered inconsistent messaging, ” she said. “Those effects continue to be felt today.”

Measles is serious Measles is not only very contagious, but a serious disease, Green emphasized.

“It can cause pneumonia, it can cause encephalitis or brain inflammation, and it can cause permanent disability and death, ” said Green. “And I say this from experience because I was called in to deal with the outbreak in Samoa just a couple years ago.”

In 2019, Green, who was then Lt. Gov. of Hawaii, led a critical medical mission to Samoa to vaccinate people against measles.

Hospitals were overflowing, he said, with hallways full of children in respiratory distress in an outbreak that resulted in 83 deaths.

“So it’s absolutely deadly serious, ” he said, “and it’s completely preventable because two shots of the measles vaccine, MMR, are 97 % effective.”

Without intervention, he said, people in vulnerable rural areas, including kids, will get sick and die.

Andrews, a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate in South Carolina, said many parents have often asked her if measles is just a cold.

“For many patients, measles is similar to a cold, ” she said. “You can get a fever, rash, runny nose, cough, itchy eyes, and sores in your mouth, and very often your immune system can handle it and you go on without any further damage.”

But when measles causes pneumonia, it can lead to respiratory failure. When measles causes encephalitis, it can lead to seizures, permanent neurological damage or death, she said.

When she asks new patients whether they are up to date on immunizations today, she braces herself for the answer due to the “rampant disinformation campaign led by RFK Jr., ” she said “So many parents are hesitant to vaccinate their children, ” she said. “So many parents have delayed vaccines. So every encounter I have with a patient in the hospital now involves a conversation about where they are on their vaccine journey.”

A slow and steady decrease in vaccination rates in South Carolina, she said, lead to a perfect environment for the current measles outbreak.

Measles in Hawaii Hawaii last year reported only two cases of measles, both travel-related—in a child under age 5 and a household member—in April.

Although the measles virus has been detected in wastewater samples numerous times following those two cases, including in Maui County, on Kauai and in West Hawaii, no further human cases have since been reported.

But Hawaii is also experiencing an overall decline in childhood vaccination rates.

Based on the latest data available from CDC, Hawaii’s kindergartner vaccination rate for MMR was at 89.9 % in the 2024-25 school year, below the national rate of 92.5 %.

To achieve herd immunity for a disease as contagious as measles, experts say vaccination rates need to reach 95 % at minimum.

At the same time, Hawaii is faced with growing opposition to mandated vaccinations as a violation of informed consent. A grassroots campaign, “Keep Vaccinations Optional, ” recently held a series of events from Ewa Beach on Oahu to Hilo, opposing required immunizations to attend schools in the state.

The group is concerned that a legislative bill introduced last year, and carried over to this year, would eliminate religious exemptions for school vaccinations.

A rally is planned at the opening day of the Legislature at the state Capitol today to oppose the bill.

According to the CDC, there were more than 2, 200 confirmed measles cases reported by 45 U.S. states, including Hawaii, resulting in three deaths in 2025.

A total of 171 cases have been reported as of mid-January of this year, mostly in children who are unvaccinated or have unknown vaccination status.

HHS said it is providing South Carolina with $1.4 million in financial assistance, as requested, and that CDC stands ready to provide support with vaccines and therapeutics, including physician-administered vitamin A.

MEASLES PREVENTION—The Hawaii Department of Health recommends vaccination at the recommended age as the best way to prevent measles.—All children should receive two doses of the MMR vaccine, the first at 12 to 15 months, and the second at 4 to 6 years old.—All adults born during or after 1957 should have documentation of at least one MMR vaccination, unless they have a blood test showing they are immune to measles or have had the disease.—Measles symptoms usually start with high fever, cough, runny rose and red eyes, followed by tiny red spots. People with measles are contagious from four days before the rash appears to four days after.—Anyone who thinks they have measles should isolate immediately and contact their health care provider. Visit cdc.gov /measles for more information.

Source : Hawaii Department of Health