The United States is poised to lose its measles-free status next year, marking a significant shift in the country's approach to combating the highly contagious disease. The prospect of losing this status has serious implications, including increased hospitalizations, hearing loss, and even death, as well as substantial economic costs.
According to a new study, the public health response to outbreaks involving just a few cases can cost upwards of $244,000, while hospitalization costs average around $58,600 per case. In contrast, an outbreak similar to the one in West Texas earlier this year, with 762 cases and 99 hospitalizations, would have cost around $12.6 million.
The country's measles-free status hinges on whether the main outbreaks this year were linked to the large outbreak in West Texas that began on January 20. If these outbreaks are indeed connected, and continue through January 20 of next year, the U.S. will no longer be among nations that have eliminated the disease.
However, efforts to combat the resurgence of measles have been hindered by the actions of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a lawyer who founded an anti-vaccine organization before taking over as head of the Department of Health and Human Services. Kennedy has undermined public health officials' ability to prevent and contain outbreaks by eroding trust in vaccines, despite overwhelming scientific evidence that the vaccine is safe and effective.
Only 4% of nearly 1,800 confirmed U.S. cases of measles this year have been in people who had received two doses. Kennedy has fired experts on the vaccine advisory committee to the CDC and has spread false claims about vaccines causing autism, brain swelling, and death.
The Trump administration appears to be more focused on downplaying the resurgence of measles than curbing the disease. HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon said that vaccination remains the most effective tool for preventing measles, but Kennedy's actions have cast doubt on this statement.
To determine whether outbreaks are linked, scientists are analyzing the genomes of measles viruses. This could reveal the origin of outbreaks and their true size, alerting officials to undetected spread. The CDC has also launched efforts to test sewage from households and buildings for measles viruses that infected people shed, which could function as an early warning system.
Despite the serious implications of losing its measles-free status, it remains uncertain whether the U.S. will indeed lose this status. Preliminary genomic analysis suggests that the outbreaks in Utah and Arizona are not directly linked to Texas, but further investigation is needed to confirm this.
The quiet research of CDC scientists stands in stark contrast to its lack of public-facing actions on the issue. The agency has not held a single press briefing on measles since President Donald Trump took office, and its last publication on measles was in April.
As the outbreak situation continues to evolve, it remains clear that the country's approach to combating measles is far from adequate. With the potential loss of its measles-free status looming, it is essential that public health officials take bold action to prevent and contain outbreaks, rather than relying on the actions of a single individual with little regard for scientific evidence.
According to a new study, the public health response to outbreaks involving just a few cases can cost upwards of $244,000, while hospitalization costs average around $58,600 per case. In contrast, an outbreak similar to the one in West Texas earlier this year, with 762 cases and 99 hospitalizations, would have cost around $12.6 million.
The country's measles-free status hinges on whether the main outbreaks this year were linked to the large outbreak in West Texas that began on January 20. If these outbreaks are indeed connected, and continue through January 20 of next year, the U.S. will no longer be among nations that have eliminated the disease.
However, efforts to combat the resurgence of measles have been hindered by the actions of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a lawyer who founded an anti-vaccine organization before taking over as head of the Department of Health and Human Services. Kennedy has undermined public health officials' ability to prevent and contain outbreaks by eroding trust in vaccines, despite overwhelming scientific evidence that the vaccine is safe and effective.
Only 4% of nearly 1,800 confirmed U.S. cases of measles this year have been in people who had received two doses. Kennedy has fired experts on the vaccine advisory committee to the CDC and has spread false claims about vaccines causing autism, brain swelling, and death.
The Trump administration appears to be more focused on downplaying the resurgence of measles than curbing the disease. HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon said that vaccination remains the most effective tool for preventing measles, but Kennedy's actions have cast doubt on this statement.
To determine whether outbreaks are linked, scientists are analyzing the genomes of measles viruses. This could reveal the origin of outbreaks and their true size, alerting officials to undetected spread. The CDC has also launched efforts to test sewage from households and buildings for measles viruses that infected people shed, which could function as an early warning system.
Despite the serious implications of losing its measles-free status, it remains uncertain whether the U.S. will indeed lose this status. Preliminary genomic analysis suggests that the outbreaks in Utah and Arizona are not directly linked to Texas, but further investigation is needed to confirm this.
The quiet research of CDC scientists stands in stark contrast to its lack of public-facing actions on the issue. The agency has not held a single press briefing on measles since President Donald Trump took office, and its last publication on measles was in April.
As the outbreak situation continues to evolve, it remains clear that the country's approach to combating measles is far from adequate. With the potential loss of its measles-free status looming, it is essential that public health officials take bold action to prevent and contain outbreaks, rather than relying on the actions of a single individual with little regard for scientific evidence.
. I mean, losing our measles-free status would be devastating for public health 
. But at the same time, I'm really disappointed in how things are being handled right now 
. Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s actions are totally unacceptable 
. He's putting people's lives at risk by spreading false info about vaccines 
.
, but they need to be more proactive in the public eye 
. I mean, it's not like there are millions of dollars on the line for each case 
. It's lives that are at stake 
.
. The science is clear: vaccines save lives 
. We need to trust our public health officials and let them do their job without interference from anti-vaxxers like Kennedy 
.
. We can't afford to wait around until we've lost our measles-free status 
. Something needs to change ASAP 
!
... i mean, come on, spreading false info about vaccines causing autism and brain swelling?! it's like, we know this stuff isn't true, but some people seem to care more about their personal opinions than doing what's best for public health. 
... we need more transparency and action, not less. this is exactly why our country needs strong, evidence-based leadership 
.
.
. They barely hold any press briefings or publish anything new about measles, which is super suspicious 
. It's like they don't want us to know what's really going on 
. I'm not sure why but it just feels like there's too much going on beneath the surface here 
.
. If someone gets measles, they're basically setting off a chain reaction of healthcare expenses that add up to millions 
. Kennedy's whole thing is just misguided & its scary how much sway he has over public health policies 
... holding press briefings & publishing updates regularly would go a long way in keeping people informed 
. We can't keep putting off addressing this issue, or we'll lose that measles-free status for good 
. We need to see more action from our health officials, rather than just waiting for someone else to fix the problem 
.
.
. No more dodging press briefings or letting the CDC's lack of transparency get in the way of finding solutions 
. We owe it to ourselves, our kids, and the future of public health 
and it's not looking good... losing our measles-free status next year would be a huge deal, like, we're talking hospitalizations, hearing loss, and even death 
. but what's even more concerning is that it's all because of some people not getting vaccinated 
. and don't even get me started on how little the CDC is doing about this whole thing... only 4% of cases this year were in people who got two doses of the vaccine? 
. Like, what are they waiting for? We need answers now! 
.
. Losing our measles-free status would be a huge setback for us as a country 
but at the same time i feel like the us government isn't doing enough to address this outbreak 