In a concerning development for public health, anti-vaccine activists closely associated with U.S. health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. are propagating false narratives regarding the ongoing measles crisis in Texas, alleging that the outbreak is a result of a "bioweapon" specifically targeting the Mennonite community. This alarming misinformation has surfaced as these activists aim to market a variety of dubious cures, some of which they claim are enhanced by artificial intelligence, to prevent the illness.

The claims were prominently featured in a recent webinar organized by Mikki Willis, who has gained notoriety as a conspiracy filmmaker, primarily through his Plandemic series of pseudo-documentaries. These films have significantly contributed to the spread of Covid-19 disinformation across digital platforms. Notably, Kennedy has acknowledged that these films have received financial backing from the Childrens Health Defense (CHD), an organization he founded that is known for its anti-vaccine stance. Additionally, Willis produced a video for Kennedy that marked the announcement of his independent presidential campaign.

During the webinar, Willis stated emphatically, "Im not going to be careful by calling it a virus. Im going to call it what it is, and that is a bioweapon," adding that his interviews with families led him to believe that this outbreak was intentionally manipulated to target communities that maintain natural lifestyles. However, these claims are patently false; measles is a viral infection that can be effectively prevented through vaccination.

The webinar, produced by Rebel Lion, a supplement company co-founded by Willis, featured a section where he promoted a so-called measles treatment and prevention protocol. This protocol, which includes a variety of supplements and tools, is being marketed to anxious parents as a way to prepare for the possibility of their children contracting measles. The full purchase of this protocol comes at a steep price that can reach hundreds of dollars, raising ethical concerns about exploiting public fear.

Imran Ahmed, CEO of the Center for Countering Digital Hate, commented on the situation, stating, This is the standard radical anti-vaccine extremist playbook. You can see RFK Jr. has translated his anti-vaccine lies into political power. You can see others have converted it into economic power. And theres some that just do it because it makes them feel good to be listened to, to be important, to be the center of a community. Theres always an ulterior motive. Ahmeds insights highlight the multifaceted motivations behind the spread of such misleading information.

The specific community being targeted by these claims is the Mennonite population in Seminole, a small city located in West Texas, which has unfortunately become the epicenter of the recent measles outbreak. So far, over 560 cases of measles have been documented in Texas, with two child fatalities already linked to the outbreak, and a third death is currently under investigation.

Willis assertion about a bioweapon is merely one facet of a broader strategy employed by the anti-vaccine movement to downplay the serious nature of the measles infection. Many activists have attempted to divert blame, asserting that the fatalities were due to other illnesses, or even erroneously attributing them to the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine. The Infectious Diseases Society of America has firmly stated that no deaths in healthy individuals have been conclusively linked to the MMR vaccine, further discrediting the claims being circulated by the anti-vaccine community.