Amid all the various post-pandemic perspectives on healthcare, the United States has felt the effects of waning vaccination rates through the return of a previously vanquished foe: measles. In the year 2000, measles was declared “eliminated” from the U.S. due to the CDC’s efforts in implementing the MMR/MMRV vaccines. In 2025, we see that measles is… Read More » Author information Stephanie Kasperick Stephanie Kasperick is a Master of Public Health student majoring in Epidemiology at the UTHealth School of Public Health. She is the Acting Student Liaison for the APHA Medical Care section. Her interests include applied biostatistical analysis and patterns in chronic noncommunicable diseases. She also works as a case manager and payment determination specialist at a medical insurance mediation company. | The post The Return of Measles appeared first on The Medical Care Blog.
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/74/wr/figures/mm7414a1-F1_Measles_Update-medium.gif?_=26551
Amid all the various post-pandemic perspectives on healthcare, the United States has felt the effects of waning vaccination rates through the return of a previously vanquished foe: measles. In the year 2000, measles was declared “eliminated” from the U.S. due to the CDC’s efforts in implementing the MMR/MMRV vaccines. In 2025, we see that measles is not, in fact, eliminated from the U.S. Rather, we have 41 states with reported measles outbreaks, 1,356 confirmed cases, and 3 deaths as of August 6th, 2025, according to CDC data. These tragedies beg the question: In the last 25 years, what changed within the United States to cause a return of these outbreaks? And, more importantly, how can we prevent the recurrence of a similar event?
An easy answer to my first question might be to blame Dr. Andrew Wakefield’s infamous publication that falsely linked the MMR vaccine with the increased occurrence of autism. Another easy answer might be that the politicization of vaccination during the pandemic caused a general mistrust in all vaccinations. We could even call this an unfortunate spread that got out of hand purely due to circumstances and chance alone. To choose only one of these answers would be to fundamentally misunderstand the cultural shift that has caused measles to return at such an astounding rate.
As a Texas resident and public health student, I have been familiar with initial measles outbreaks since January. I have tracked the public response, government response, case numbers, and annual school immunization rates posted by the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS). With this data in mind, I believe the catalyst to these outbreaks is an interaction of three factors: social/traditional media, government behavior towards vaccination, and the option for personal choice exemptions to immunizations.
Role of Media Sources in the Measles Outbreak
Social media and traditional media play major roles in the dissemination of public health news. Checking Facebook or watching the evening news is an efficient method of receiving news. However, these media create issues by prioritizing sensationalized stories over the eradication of misinformation. As the initial outbreak began to spread from Texas to New Mexico, users on Instagram claimed that contracting measles was beneficial to the immune system and protects against cancer. Mary Holland, CEO of an anti-vaccination advocacy group, took to X to spread the same (false) sentiment that measles “immune system training” protects from cancers and other illnesses. These messages on social media create a harmful narrative that discourages those without adequate health literacy from receiving the MMR vaccine.
A transition of this misinformation surrounding the contraction of measles made its way to traditional media, in a Fox News interview with Robert F. Kennedy Jr.. Kennedy claimed there were studies to back the beneficial and protective factors of contracting measles and developing immunity. As the current Secretary of Health and Human Services, it is Kennedy’s responsibility to clear this misinformation rather than encourage it. In a contradictory interview, Kennedy claims that it is his view, and the view of the government, to encourage everyone to get the measles vaccine. The mixed messages in these interviews, Fox News and CNN, show how media representation of vaccination creates an air of confusion for the general population.
Government Response to Measles Outbreak
This conversation leads us to the next topic: government behavior toward the measles outbreak. State and federal government behavior toward the measles outbreak, and immunization as a whole, has lacked appropriate acknowledgment, response, and containment measures. Texas Governor Greg Abbot did not address the measles outbreak until February 28th, 2025, on X. By this point, there had already been 146 confirmed cases and one child fatality. The Texas House of Representatives has proposed a bill that would speed up the process for those seeking vaccination exemptions from school requirements. If passed, House Bill 1586 would allow parents to receive immunization exemptions for their children by downloading and submitting an online form through the DSHS. Texas DSHS Annual Reports of Immunization data reveal that personal choice exemptions are increasing at an alarming rate. HB1586 will only exacerbate the potential for future outbreaks such as this one.
The federal government has mirrored the pattern of mixed signals toward the measles outbreak and the general importance of vaccination. However, CDC tracking data has confirmed that 92% of cases are unvaccinated or of unknown status, and it still strongly recommends the MMR vaccine for protection from infection and severe symptoms.
In contrast, Secretary Kennedy has gone on record claiming the measles vaccine causes “deaths every year” and that immunity “wanes about 4.5% per year”. Secretary Kennedy has also fired all 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). The stated reason was for the “restoration of public trust” in vaccine messaging. The ACIP recommends the best practices of vaccination use, distribution, and disease control within the United States, a mission that is essential in the midst of a measles outbreak. The counterproductive actions of centralized federal government figures have disabled scientific organizations from spreading life-saving information throughout this measles outbreak.
Personal Choice Exemptions & Measles Outbreak
The last, and most significant, factor is shrouded in controversy: the ability for personal choice exemption. In Texas, this would be Texas Administrative Code 97.62. The other fourteen states with this policy are Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Maine, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Utah, and Vermont. The right to make an informed decision on one’s personal health is an extremely important concept, but there is a caveat. Children do not have the autonomy to make their own decisions on vaccinations. There comes a point where the discussion of personal choice versus risking the lives of others needs to be reevaluated.
The most common reasons for MMR vaccine hesitancy are inadequate health literacy, fear of autism, medical conditions, and religious/spiritual reasonings. We can skip past medical and religious/spiritual reasoning, as these are both widely accepted in 45 states.
The Ongoing Hazard of Misinformation
Every corner and strata of the U.S. population should understand the nature of measles. This information is useful for making an informed decision on their health and that of those around them. The federal and state governments should focus on promoting health literacy, reducing harmful misinformation, and tightening restrictions on personal choice exemptions.
Misinformation through social media often perpetuates the most common parental hesitancies. These include fear of children developing autism, belief that the vaccine is harmful, and belief that there are benefits to contracting measles. Many reviews since the Lancet publication have proven there is no link between the MMR vaccine and the development of autism. While there are MMR vaccine risks to be acknowledged, the vaccination is recommended because the protective factors outweigh the risks of short- and long-term measles complications. Measles symptoms include fever, cough, rash, Koplik spots, ear infection, and diarrhea. Complications include hospitalization, pneumonia, encephalitis, and death. Let us review some fun facts about the MMR vaccine:
- The measles vaccine is effective with 93-95% herd immunity in a population.
- The most effective way to prevent measles is through vaccination, which prevents 97% of infections.
- MMR vaccination within 72 hours of initial measles exposure can provide protective factors to the symptoms of the virus.
The Greater Pattern – What’s Next?
These three influences are not specific to measles. Rather, they highlight an ongoing pattern present in the United States since the COVID-19 pandemic. The pattern begins with the spread of misinformation regarding vaccinations, diseases, or general health practices. The most common examples include dangerous social media recommendations (ex. posts suggesting bleach as a cure to COVID-19) and inaccurate scientific findings presented as fact (again, we reference Dr. Wakefield). Traditional media sources present these stories in a sensationalized manner to increase fear and, in turn, viewership. The ongoing politicization of vaccinations, healthcare, and public health influences the government’s response to outbreaks. As the measles outbreak shows, supportive government action focuses on short-term solutions. Long-term focused solutions could better protect the public’s health, such as tightening policy restrictions on personal choice exemptions.
If this pattern of behavior continues, other diseases and conditions previously eliminated by herd immunity through vaccination will also recur. I believe the culture created around vaccination and inaction to public health threats will continue to place our population’s health at risk. We must begin the depoliticization of immunizations before we lose more lives to preventable, recurring outbreaks.
Author information
Stephanie Kasperick
Stephanie Kasperick is a Master of Public Health student majoring in Epidemiology at the UTHealth School of Public Health. She is the Acting Student Liaison for the APHA Medical Care section. Her interests include applied biostatistical analysis and patterns in chronic noncommunicable diseases. She also works as a case manager and payment determination specialist at a medical insurance mediation company.
The post The Return of Measles appeared first on The Medical Care Blog.
