MEASLES
“More measles cases have been reported in the United States in the last two years than in all the years from 2000 to 2024 combined.” There have been 2,318 confirmed cases of measles in the US so far in 2026. Last year two unvaccinated children died from measles. Meanwhile Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. “has halted funding for vaccine hesitancy research, downplayed the risk of measles and spearheaded a hunt for evidence that vaccines are unsafe.”
Religious exemptions for vaccinations are allowed in 46 out of 50 states. (The four states that do not allow exemptions are Maine, Connecticut, New York and California.) A 95% vaccination rate is required for protecting a community against measles. Some communities in the US have a vaccination rate of less that 80%. Children make up 70% of confirmed measles cases. The complications from measles can be pneumonia and brain swelling. There are no treatments for measles. It is estimated that in 2025 “each measles case cost the United States $100,000, when factoring in health care spending and the days of missed work for sick people or caretakers.” All this could be avoided with a requirement for everyone to have the MMR vaccination (Measles, Mumps, Rubella), except for those who are medically exempt.
Source: The New York Times, 7/24/26