Texas father still rejects vaccines after 8-year-old daughter dies of measles, claims vaccinated relatives got "way worse" cases
A grieving father whose daughter died of measles last week is doubling down on his anti-vaccine stance.
Despite burying his 8-year-old daughter Daisy just days ago, Pete Hildebrand remains convinced that vaccines would not have saved her life.
Texas Measles Outbreak Claims Young Lives
The devastating measles outbreak has hit Texas hard, particularly in Gaines County, where a tight-knit Mennonite community has been severely impacted.
Health officials have reported over 300 confirmed measles cases in the region since January 2025.
The outbreak has proven deadly, with three fatalities reported so far, including two young girls from the Seminole, Texas community.
Little Daisy Hildebrand died last week from measles pulmonary failure, a severe complication that can occur when the virus infects the lungs.
Another child, Kayley Fehr, also lost her life to the highly contagious disease that experts say is nearly entirely preventable through vaccination.
Controversial Claims Despite Tragedy
Just one day after burying his daughter, Pete Hildebrand made statements that have sparked outrage among medical professionals.
In an interview on Monday, Hildebrand defended his decision not to vaccinate his children, despite the tragic outcome.
"I know it's not effective because some family members ended up getting the vaccine, and they got the measles way worse than some of my kids," Hildebrand claimed. "The vaccine was not effective."
His statements directly contradict decades of scientific research and the overwhelming consensus of the medical community.
The CDC maintains that two doses of the MMR vaccine are approximately 97% effective at preventing measles, and vaccinated individuals who do contract the disease typically experience milder symptoms.
Health Secretary's Controversial Visit
Adding to the controversy, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. reportedly visited the Hildebrand family after Daisy's funeral.
According to Hildebrand, Kennedy shared a meal with the family but never directly addressed the vaccine's efficacy during their conversation.
Kennedy, who has a long history of vaccine skepticism, now finds himself in the unusual position of leading the federal response to a measles outbreak.
Following public pressure, Kennedy issued a carefully worded statement calling the MMR vaccine the "most effective" way to prevent measles.
However, he also praised alternative treatments like vitamins and cod liver oil used by some practitioners—approaches that have no scientific backing for preventing or treating measles.
The Truth About Measles and Vaccination
What makes Hildebrand's claims particularly concerning to public health officials is the demonstrably false nature of his core assertion.
Medical records consistently show that unvaccinated individuals are at substantially higher risk of contracting measles and developing severe complications than those who are vaccinated.
Before widespread vaccination began in 1963, measles infected approximately 3-4 million Americans annually, causing an estimated 400-500 deaths each year.
The current outbreak in Texas has primarily affected unvaccinated or under-vaccinated communities, with all three deaths occurring in unvaccinated individuals.
Despite losing his daughter to a vaccine-preventable disease, Hildebrand maintains that his vaccinated relatives suffered worse symptoms than his other unvaccinated children who survived—a claim that contradicts established medical understanding of how the MMR vaccine works.
Public health officials continue to urge parents to vaccinate their children against measles, emphasizing that the current outbreak demonstrates the real-world consequences of vaccine hesitancy in vulnerable communities.
