A top official at the Department of Health and Human Services has resigned after clashing with Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr about the ongoing measles outbreak in Texas, according to Politico.
Thomas Corry, the assistant secretary for public affairs, at HHS announced his resignation on Monday “effective immediately” after just two weeks on the job.
“I want to announce to my friends and colleagues that last Friday I announced my resignation effective immediately,” Corry wrote on his LinkedIn page Monday. “To my colleagues at HHS, I wish you the best and great success.”
Sources told Politico that Corry was growing uneasy with Kennedy’s muted response to the measles outbreak in Texas.
Texas health officials have reported 146 infections. Nearly two dozen patients have been hospitalized so far and one child has died.
At a cabinet meeting last week, Kennedy, a prominent anti-vaxxer, declared that the measles outbreak is “not unusual” even though measles was declared eliminated in the US in 2000 because of widespread use of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine.
In a Fox News op-ed Sunday Kennedy said while the vaccines can protect children and contribute to community immunity, he stopped short of explicitly calling for vaccinations, saying instead that the ultimate decision to vaccinate should still be with parents.
“All parents should consult with their healthcare providers to understand their options to get the MMR vaccine,” Kennedy said. “The decision to vaccinate is a personal one.”
