As a measles outbreak in Texas has grown to nearly 150 cases, US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in an opinion piece on Fox News on Sunday that parents should consult with health-care providers “to understand their options to get the MMR vaccine” for their children.

Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is closing the main avenue for members of the public to weigh in on pending health regulations and policy changes. | The HHS secretary said the public feedback mechanism is an obligation that imposes burden on the department.

A 3-page rule published in the Federal Register today and signed by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ends the ability of stakeholders to comment on many of the agency's policies regarding benefits, contracts, and grants within the agency.

HHS' move to revoke a policy that requires public notice and comment on certain agency decisions could affect the National Institutes of Health and Medicaid.

The move comes during a time of major upheaval across federal health agencies, and as the public waits to see how Kennedy will enact his pledge of “radical transparency” at the department.

A change in policy at the Department of Health and Human Services set to be published today in the Federal Register could result in you, your fellow senior living providers and the associations that advocate on your behalf having fewer opportunities to weigh in on decisions at the agency.

The Health and Human Services Department will no longer provide public notice or accept comments on a wide variety of policy changes.