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SEMINOLE, TEXAS – FEBRUARY 27, 2025: Signs point the way to measles testing in the parking lot of the Seminole Hospital District across from Wigwam Stadium in Seminole, Texas. (Photo by Jan Sonnenmair\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n
Getty Images<\/p>\n
Measles is surging in the U.S., exposing serious flaws in our public health response.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s a big brouhaha over whether the U.S. will lose its measles elimination status after 25 years. That reflects whether there has been sustained transmission in the country over the past year.<\/p>\n
Dr. Ralph Abraham, the principal deputy director of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, suggested that \u201cit\u2019s just the cost of doing business<\/a>, with our borders being somewhat porous [and] global and international travel.\u201d <\/p>\n Dr. Demetre Daskalakis was former director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. He and CDC officials Dr. Daniel Jernigan and Dr. Deb Houry all resigned in protest after Dr. Susan Monarez was fired by Robert F. Kennedy Jr.<\/p>\n In a webinar sponsored by Protect Our Health<\/a>, an educational nonprofit, Daskalakis countered that \u201celimination is already lost, frankly, no matter what any other body says.\u201d He further explained, \u201cThe actions of the Secretary of Health so far have already damaged our public health system, potentially beyond repair, and we do not have the capability to actually control measles.\u201d<\/p>\n Measles is highly transmissible\u2014each person with measles will infect 12\u201318 others<\/a>. Further, the virus can remain infectious in the air for hours<\/a> after an infected person had been there. To provide immunity for the population, 95% need to be immune.<\/p>\n The last time measles cases were this high was 1991. In 2025, there were 2,242 confirmed cases<\/a>, with 93% of cases among unvaccinated individuals. Actual cases are likely higher as many people can\u2019t or don\u2019t seek medical care. Eleven percent required hospitalization, and three people died.<\/p>\n Cost Of Measles<\/p>\n Measles epidemics are quite costly. There are always fixed costs<\/a>, no matter how many cases in an outbreak, including the initial investigation, contact tracing, quarantine, and vaccination. Researchers estimate this at $244,480.40. Beyond that, add $16,197.13 per case, or $36.3 million for the 2242 confirmed 2025 cases. Another review suggests $43,200 per case<\/a>. This would translate to $96.9 million for the year. Either way, it is considerably more expensive than vaccination.<\/p>\n The measles epidemic in South Carolina is expensive to the state in lost tourism, according to Dr. Annie Andrews, a South Carolina pediatrician. She also spoke about how the lack of immunizations has changed practices, such as having to triage patients with a rash outside, in their cars, rather than allowing them into the office and risk infecting others. Andrews also now has to ask every patient \u201cwhere they are on their vaccine journey,\u201d as so many are unvaccinated. She said the disinformation campaign that led to that is \u201cmalpractice that is causing true harm.\u201d She is hopeful that the economic and tourist impact on the state might be the one thing that \u201cmoves the needle.\u201d<\/p>\n Public Health Response And Misinformation<\/p>\n All three speakers at the January 20th webinar stressed the impact of the dismantling of our public health infrastructure beyond measles. Governor Josh Green (D-HI), who is also a physician, said that cutting Medicaid enrollment is \u201canother episode of public health malpractice.\u201d His biggest concern is not measles, but that by undermining confidence in vaccines and slashing research, the next pandemic\u2014be it bird flu or another\u2014will make the COVID-19 pandemic look like \u201ca walk in the park.\u201d<\/p>\n Daskalakis echoed the concern about \u201cmis- and disinformation campaigns<\/a> that undermine the trusted vaccines, discourage immunization and spread myths about vaccine safety.\u201d He added, Kennedy\u2019s \u201cstatements and actions have been have reached wide audiences, amplifying skepticism and fueling resistance, particularly in the most vulnerable communities.\u201d An example Daskalakis gave was that of the measles outbreak in an Orthodox Jewish New York community, fueled by such disinformation. Another was that in Texas, Kennedy \u201cwas telling people that they should use inhaled steroids and clarithromycin<\/a>, which is an antibiotic, instead of getting vaccinated for the MMR, stating such crazy things as durability of the vaccine isn’t good, and claiming that the vaccine had fetal parts in it.\u201d<\/p>\n So the measles elimination status is important as being \u201ca vital sign for our public health system. It reflects our ability to maintain high vaccination coverage, conduct effective surveillance and respond swiftly to outbreaks\u201d of any kind.<\/p>\n Green similarly criticized efforts by Kennedy to promote Vitamin A or cod liver oil<\/a> and the inhaled steroid Butesonide for measles in Texas, and people profiting from selling these unproven supplements.<\/p>\n Freedom<\/p>\n Abraham added that parents choosing not to vaccinate their children reflects \u201ctheir personal freedom,\u201d and we should respect them. He\u2019s ignoring that some children who are too young to be vaccinated or who are immunocompromised can die because of the unvaccinated person.<\/p>\n Grandparents for Vaccines<\/a> has a collection of very brief personal stories from grandparents about the impact of infectious diseases such as polio or meningitis on their families before vaccines were widely available. In one, Therese<\/a> shows photos of her sister, who developed encephalitis (brain inflammation) after measles. Nancy was left permanently intellectually disabled but was able to find a job in a sheltered workshop. She died of dementia in her 60s. Therese also expressed concern that the types of programs that supported her sister are being cut.<\/p>\n While Abraham and Kennedy say they endorse the measles\/mumps\/rubella vaccine to combat epidemics, their support has been tepid, at best. Kennedy has urged separating the shot into the three individual components. This is something pharmaceutical manufacturers are not prepared to do, and would be far more costly for parents, requiring them to take off work three times per immunization rather than once. He has also spread disinformation about vaccine safety.<\/p>\n Future Of Vaccine Schedule<\/p>\n Many states are choosing to reject the CDC\u2019s new vaccine schedule, which eliminated many vaccines, and urge doctors to follow the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics.<\/p>\n