Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the H.H.S. secretary, claimed that doctors had successfully treated children with unconventional remedies, including cod liver oil.
A measles outbreak that has spread over a swath of West Texas, killing one child, shows no signs of slowing, according to data released on Tuesday by state health officials.
The Texas Department of Health reported that since late January, nearly 160 people have contracted measles — 20 more cases than reported on Friday — and 22 have been hospitalized.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced on Tuesday that it would send some of its “disease detectives” to Texas, one of the first steps the new administration has taken to help manage the outbreak.
The news comes amid criticism of federal officials for underplaying the need for immunizations with the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine, one of the most important tools in quelling an outbreak.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the secretary of health and human services, on Sunday described vaccination as a personal decision.
In a prerecorded interview that aired on Fox News on Tuesday, he said that the federal government was shipping doses of vitamin A to Gaines County, in West Texas, and helping to arrange ambulance rides.