Kennedy Jr. said ending the measles outbreak in Texas is a top priority for him and listed the steps his agency had taken to combat the spread of disease, including supporting the state’s vaccine efforts.

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. earlier this week dismissed the measles outbreak in West Texas that killed an unvaccinated child as "not unusual" and appeared to misstate a number of key facts.

“We have measles outbreaks every year,” he added. Mr. Kennedy has also said in the past that immunizations against measles and some other infectious diseases are unnecessary and risky.