Measles

The US health secretary added that he would’ve made sweeping changes ‘on day one’ but he had to follow the lawAs the death toll from the worst measles outbreak in decades rises, Robert F Kennedy Jr headlined the Washington DC conference of the anti-vaccine organization Children’s Health Defense, which he led for nearly two decades.“Let me be clear. You have a strong and steadfast friend at the White House,” Kennedy, now serving as secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), told anti-vaccine activists at the conference in a nearly hour-and-a-half-long speech. He urged patience, saying that he would’ve made sweeping changes “on day one” but that he had to follow the law in order to make permanent change. Continue reading...

State reportedly asks for Epi-Aid support unless federal agency recognizes four local measles-related deathsPennsylvania is seeking emergency assistance from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as a major measles outbreak spreads across the state. The state warned the request could be withdrawn unless the federal agency publicly recognizes four measles-associated deaths reported by the state.The Pennsylvania department of health has begun the process of requesting CDC emergency support known as an Epi-Aid, Reuters reported on Thursday. Continue reading...

• Two new polls indicate a decline in global and U.S. trust regarding medical advice and the safety of the measles vaccine for children. • Only 19% of 1,143 adult respondents approved of President Donald Trump's handling of measles outbreaks, while 52% expressed disapproval. • Registered voters viewed the Democratic Party's approach to stopping infectious diseases more favorably than the Republican Party's by 45% to 25%.

Health committee chair Bill Cassidy said fatal outbreak of disease is a ‘terrible legacy’ for Trump administrationUS politics live – latest updatesSenator Bill Cassidy, the Republican chairman of the US Senate health committee, blamed the Trump administration’s vaccine-skeptical approach for ‌recent measles deaths in Pennsylvania and challenged Donald Trump’s pick for surgeon general to directly state that vaccines do not cause autism on Wednesday.Cassidy, a Louisiana physician who chairs the panel, said three people in Pennsylvania had died of measles, with a fourth death under review, because ​of misinformation and misguided policies. His remarks come as the US grapples with its worst measles outbreak in over three decades. Continue reading...

• An unvaccinated 40-year-old woman in Jefferson County, Pennsylvania, died from measles complications in 2026. • Pennsylvania has recorded 693 confirmed cases across 38 counties and has refused the CDC Epi-Aid outbreak assistance that six other states requested. • The refusal of federal help and the rise in fatalities increase the health risks for unvaccinated residents in the affected regions.

CDC announces changes to how it reports measles deaths as Pennsylvania continues to confirm more casesThe Trump administration has changed the way it counts measles deaths amid an outbreak in Pennsylvania, which on Sunday saw the third apparent measles-related death in the state reported by a local coroner.The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is now using data from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), which is a way to track mortality trends over time, according to a note published to the agency’s website on 4 September. Continue reading...

Jefferson county coroner says 40-year-old woman died on Saturday, while two infants died with disease in AugustA coroner in Pennsylvania announced the death of a 40-year-old woman associated with the state’s ongoing measles outbreak. The death appears to mark the third in the US state’s ongoing outbreak.Two previous deaths in the state were in infant children. In one case, the infant was born with a genetic defect that made her vulnerable to infection. The second infant child was infected with measles, and died of a ruptured spleen. Continue reading...

Officials decline to confirm whether death was one of two announced last week as Lancaster county outbreak growsA six-week-old child in Pennsylvania died from measles, the Lancaster County coroner has determined, following two measles-related deaths in the county last week.The determination comes as Lancaster county faces a growing measles outbreak. Continue reading...

• Public health debates have intensified following two "measles-associated" deaths in Pennsylvania and the FDA's approval of updated COVID-19 vaccines. • Critics are questioning the lack of direct randomized human efficacy trials for the new vaccine formulations and the transparency of the approval process. • These events highlight a growing tension over how government agencies communicate scientific uncertainty and evaluate evidence for vaccine safety and effectiveness.

RFK Jr, the health secretary, has suggested the death were ‘fabricated’ while the CDC claimed it was reviewing themTop US health officials and government agencies are currently not including the two recent measles-associated deaths in Pennsylvania in their counts.“This is highly unusual,” said Debra Houry, former chief medical officer of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). She noted that this did not happen with the three deaths reported from measles in Texas and New Mexico last year. Continue reading...

• NanoViricides, Inc. (NYSE American: NNVC) announced on August 31, 2026, that it is preparing for clinical trials of its broad-spectrum drug candidate, NV-387. • The drug utilizes host-mimetic nanomedicine technology designed to treat measles, a disease currently seeing a rise in cases both within the USA and globally. • This development is significant as it aims to provide a revolutionary antiviral treatment that viruses cannot easily escape, addressing a critical gap in measles management.

Anti-vaxxers are spreading conspiracy theories after two recent measles-associated deaths in PennsylvaniaAnti-vaccine activists are trying to track down the families of two people, including at least one newborn, who died after contracting measles in Pennsylvania, as governor Josh Shapiro tangles with Robert F Kennedy Jr over his “inaccurate and misleading claims”.Kennedy, the secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), suggested late Wednesday that the deaths in the state may have been “fabricated” after a Republican coroner – an elected political office in Lancaster county – claimed one of the measles-associated deaths was unrelated to the virus, although the given cause would be consistent with measles. Continue reading...

Deaths from disease are first in state in 35 years and just one day after Maryland declared outbreak in three countiesTwo unvaccinated individuals have died of measles in Pennsylvania, state health officials announced on Tuesday. The deaths are the first in the state in 35 years and have been announced just one day after Maryland declared a measles outbreak in three counties.Measles is one of the most contagious diseases known to medicine, and is preventable with a highly effective vaccine. Continue reading...

• Measles cases are reaching record highs as immunization rates drop across various parts of the United States. • Health officials warn that measles is one of the most contagious diseases in history and is typically the first to resurface when vaccine coverage declines. • In response to the threat, some U.S. schools have established vaccination clinics to boost student immunity and prevent outbreaks.

• A new executive order regarding childhood vaccines has been issued, alongside the appointment of a permanent director for the CDC to fill a year-long vacancy. • The FDA has approved the first mRNA-based flu vaccine, while the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released its official recommendations for the upcoming flu season. • These updates arrive amid a critical public health landscape marked by 20 consecutive months of measles outbreaks across the United States.

Order also recommends all shots be given at separate medical visits though cost of doing them together is lowerDonald Trump has signed an executive order with plans for sweeping changes to the childhood vaccination schedule that attempts to override the authority of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).It’s an attempt to undergird the changes made earlier this year to CDC vaccination recommendations, which were halted by a federal judge. The CDC is the federal agency tasked with recommending vaccines, not the White House. Continue reading...

Health secretary, longtime vaccination skeptic, spent years boosting misinformation about vaccines including MMRRobert F Kennedy Jr, the US health secretary, on Sunday told American parents that they should get their children vaccinated against measles, as the surge in infections has reached numbers not seen in the past 35 years.Kennedy, a leading vaccination skeptic who has spent years amplifying misinformation about vaccines, including the shot that protects against measles, mumps and rubella (MMR), made his call in the course of a contentious interview with CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday morning. Continue reading...

Authorities in Delaware tackle cluster with vaccination and contract tracing – but field has been weakened by cutsMeasles outbreaks are igniting throughout the United States as the nation passes the highest case count in 30 years – putting greater pressure on state and local health departments and highlighting the importance of early identification and quick action.The US has officially surpassed last year’s tally of measles cases, reaching 2,371 confirmed infections by the end of July. Those numbers have been driven by clusters in Arizona, South Carolina, and Utah – but in times of high transmission, outbreaks elsewhere become more likely. And with decreasing vaccination rates across the country, these sparks are falling on increasingly dry timber. Continue reading...

• An infectious disease specialist is debunking common misconceptions about measles as U.S. cases reach a 35-year high. • The doctor draws on professional experience treating patients during the 2014-2015 Disneyland outbreak, which spread across six U.S. states and into Canada. • This effort highlights the ongoing risk of preventable crises and the critical need for public health literacy to combat misinformation.

• Former CDC chief medical officer Debra Houry links current outbreaks of measles and foodborne cyclosporiasis to significant public health funding cuts. • Houry resigned from her position one year ago to protest political interference and the leadership of HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. • The current administration has reportedly slashed billions of dollars in public health funding, which Houry argues has weakened the nation's ability to manage disease.

• The United States is experiencing its highest number of measles cases in decades, driven largely by a decline in vaccination rates. • Because the vaccine was historically so effective, there has been little medical or financial incentive to develop pharmaceutical treatments for the virus. • In response to the rising caseload, researchers are now developing new drugs to assist those who contract the virus or individuals who are too vulnerable to be vaccinated.

• Researchers have developed an experimental antiviral pill that successfully prevented a measles-like virus from spreading via air or close contact in ferrets. • The drug proved effective when administered shortly before or after exposure, while also reducing the duration of illness and the window of contagiousness. • This development is significant as it provides a potential medical intervention to stop outbreaks from escalating, especially for those who cannot be vaccinated.

The latest milestone, a recorded 2,318 infections, makes 2026 the worst year for measles in the US since 1991The US has officially surpassed last year’s record number of measles infections, marking the highest case count since the disease was declared eliminated in 2000.New figures from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released Friday show the country has recorded 2,318 measles cases in 2026, overtaking the 2,289 cases reported during all of 2025 – with five months still remaining in the year. The country crossed the 2,000-case threshold last month before climbing even higher in July. Continue reading...

• A Washington Post investigation reveals that 2026 measles outbreaks are more difficult to contain due to larger unvaccinated networks and a diminished public health response capacity. • State and local health departments lost approximately 10–20% of their epidemiological workforce between 2023 and 2025 as pandemic-era emergency funding and hiring were reversed. • Researchers estimate that a single major measles outbreak costs between $2.7 million and $7.7 million in treatment, containment, and lost productivity.

• The United States risks losing its official measles-free status, which it has maintained since 2000, following a surge to 2,134 cases in 2026. • The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) will conduct a formal review in November 2026 to determine if the country still meets elimination criteria. • This potential status change highlights a significant decline in public health control over the virus and may trigger new national vaccination strategies.

• Two peer-reviewed reports published this week analyzed measles outbreaks in Texas and South Carolina to determine the primary barriers to disease control. • The findings reveal that a lack of community trust, rather than simply low vaccination rates, serves as the central obstacle to stopping the outbreaks. • This shift in understanding suggests that public health strategies must address social trust and communication to effectively increase vaccine uptake.

• Virginia has expanded a measles outbreak from Buckingham County to include Cumberland County as of June 25. • Statewide confirmed cases have now reached 129 in 2026, prompting the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) to issue guidance for residents and visitors. • This expansion indicates a growing public health threat, necessitating increased vigilance and adherence to vaccination and safety protocols.

• Public health experts warn that the U.S. has effectively lost its measles elimination status, as only 6% of 2026 cases are now linked to travel compared to a historical average of 40%. • In other health news, the FDA approved bulevirtide on May 22, 2026, marking the first-ever approved treatment for Hepatitis Delta. • On June 17, the federal government announced $223.1 million in new funding for CCBHC community mental health clinics to improve care access and reduce emergency room visits.