A major measles outbreak has rocked West Texas in recent weeks, with 159 confirmed cases and counting and two fatalities — the first measles-related deaths in the U.S. in nearly a decade. In response, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is facing intense scrutiny for his handling of the crisis and his longstanding vaccine skepticism.
We hosted an in-depth event that will explore the history of measles vaccination in the U.S., the rise of vaccine misinformation, and the implications of a measles outbreak for Texas, the nation, and the world. Featuring Dr. Peter Hotez, a renowned pediatrician and vaccine expert, the event delved into the importance of science-driven policies to safeguard public health. Dr. Hotez highlighted the critical role of vaccines in preventing outbreaks and discussed how stronger, more unified policies are necessary to protect future generations from preventable diseases.
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Director’s Lecture Series
Created and endowed by Ambassador Edward P. Djerejian and Mrs. Françoise Djerejian, the Director’s Lecture Series provides a forum for productive discourse to advance the public’s understanding of the most critical challenges facing Texas, the U.S., and the world.
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Agenda
12:00 pm CST — Lunch
12:20 pm CST — Welcome Remarks
12:25 pm CST — Discussion
12:50 pm CST — Q&A Session
Participants
Welcome Remarks
The Honorable David M. Satterfield
Director, Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy; Janice and Robert McNair Chair in Public Policy; Former ambassador to Lebanon and Turkey
Featured Speaker
Peter J. Hotez, M.D., Ph.D., is the Baker Institute fellow in disease and poverty. He is dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine, professor of pediatrics and molecular virology and microbiology and co-director of Texas Children’s enter for Vaccine Development at Baylor College of Medicine where he also holds the Texas Children’s Hospital Endowed Chair of Tropical Pediatrics. Dr. Hotez is an internationally recognized physician-scientist with expertise in neglected tropical diseases and vaccine development, and the author of four books with Johns Hopkins University Press. In 2015-16 he served as U.S. Science Envoy in the State Department and for the White House. He holds several honorary doctorates and is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine and American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and has been recognized by the American Medical Association (AMA), Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), American College of Physicians (ACP), and American Medical Writers Association (AMWA).
