Making Measles Great Again

Before the measles vaccine became widely available in the 1960s, nearly everyone in the United States contracted measles by the timethey were 15. Each year, millions of children were infected, tens of thousands were hospitalized, and hundreds died.

It is extremely contagious. 92% of unvaccinated people exposed to measles end up contracting the disease.

Nevertheless, in 2000, the World Health Organization declared that measles had been eradicated in the United States. This was due to the historic success of a vaccination program, which stopped the spread of the disease.

Today, measles is back.

In 2000, there were only 86 cases of measles recorded in the United States. Halfway through 2025, there have already been 1,274 recorded measles cases. There have been 155 hospitalizations and three deaths, including two unvaccinated children. It is the first time people have died from a measles infection in the United States in a decade.

The spread of measles is directly related to vaccine hesitancy. The epicenter of the current outbreak is Gaines County, where the Mennonite community has low vaccination rates. There is no religious prohibition against vaccines, but "has historically avoided interacting with the health care system and has a long tradition of using home remedies and supplements." In some school districts in the county, less than half of the Kindergarten population was vaccinated. Texas allows parents to opt out of the MMR vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps, and rubella, for "reasons of conscience."

Low vaccination rates have allowed the measles outbreak to spread to neighboring New Mexico, which has nearly 100 recorded cases. Kentucky reported its first outbreak on June 27. Across Kentucky, MMR vaccination rates have declined to 86.9%. Only July 1, Wyoming reported its first case of measles in 15 years.

Outbreaks have also occurred in Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Montana, North Dakota, Oklahoma, and Utah.

Deadly vaccine misinformation

MMR vaccination rates have plummeted due to the spread of misinformation about the safety and efficacy of vaccines. One of the most influential sources of misinformation, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., serves in the Trump administration as the Secretary of Health and Human Services. Kennedy has used his high-profile position to misinform millions of people about measles and the MMR vaccine.

Before joining the Trump administration, Kennedy sued the state of New York for requiring the MMR vaccine, arguing that it was dangerous and unnecessary.

In an appearance on Fox News on March 11, 2025, Kennedy suggested that contracting measles was preferable to getting vaccinated. Kennedy told Sean Hannity that "when you and I were kids, everybody got measles and measles… gave you… lifetime protection against measles infection. The vaccine doesn't do that." Kennedy falsely claimed the MMR "vaccine wanes about 4.5% per year. So that means older people are essentially unvaccinated." In reality, although the concentration of measles antibodies can decrease over time, the MMR vaccine provides lifetime immunity for nearly everyone, which is why so few vaccinated people contract measles. (The 4.5% per year figure is not supported by scientific evidence.)

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Kennedy also falsely suggested that the vaccine was just as dangerous as measles. "There are adverse events from the vaccine," Kennedy said. "It does cause deaths every year. It causes -- it causes all the illnesses that -- measles itself cause[s] encephalitis and blindness, et cetera, and so on."

The claim that the MMR vaccine causes death each year is false. According to the Infectious Diseases Society of America, there are "no deaths shown to be related to the MMR vaccine in healthy people." In rare instances, the MMR vaccine has caused death in immunocompromised people, which is why the vaccine is not recommended for that population.

Further, "there is no evidence of an association between MMR immunisation and encephalitis." It also does not cause blindness. Among the millions of people who received the vaccine there "a few case reports of an eye condition called optic neuritis." It is "a temporary clinical situation, which resolves after administration of a high dose of corticosteroid in the initial phase of the therapy."

In May, Kennedy refused to endorse measles vaccination, telling a House panel that he would "probably" opt for measles vaccination if he had a child today. Asked about the issue during a Senate committee, Kennedy insisted that he was "not going to just tell people everything is safe and effective if I know that there's issues."

Instead, Kennedy has promoted over-the-counter vitamins and supplements for people who contract measles, including Vitamin A and cod liver oil. Neither supplement is an effective treatment for measles. Nevertheless, Kennedy asked "the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to develop new guidance for treating measles with drugs and vitamins."

Undermining vaccine science

Kennedy has repeatedly suggested that childhood vaccines like the MMR vaccine cause autism, citing discredited research. He refused to rule out the link during his Senate confirmation hearing in January. In a visit to Texas, Kennedy said people should spend less time worrying about measles and more time focused on autism.

In April, Kennedy announced a “massive testing and research effort” to determine why autism rates in the United States have increased. Medical professionals and researchers attribute the rise to "increased awareness, broader definitions of what constitutes autism, improved screening tools and processes, and earlier detection." Kennedy said, "Maybe it's a shot."

Last month, Kennedy dismissed "all 17 members of the advisory committee on immunization to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention." To win the support of Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA), who is a doctor, Kennedy pledged not to alter the composition of the panel. Kennedy then "named eight new members, at least half of whom have expressed some skepticism about vaccines." The first meeting of the new group featured a presentation by "Lyn Redwood, a former leader of Children’s Health Defense, an anti-vaccine group Mr. Kennedy founded."

Redwood's presentation included "a study in animals" that "suggested that use of the vaccine preservative thimerosal" could have “long-term consequences in the brain.” The study does not exist. Kennedy subsequently hired Redwood as an advisor.