‘The Child Is Terrified’: Measles Doctors Speak Out

This isn’t just a bad year for measles. It looks to be the start of a bad era. Confirmed measles cases just hit a 35-year high, and it’s only July. Together with last year, the number of cases has exceeded the combined total over the previous 25 years. The vast majority of cases stem from domestic outbreaks fueled by low rates of vaccination—and rates are declining.

For the first time in a quarter century, the US no longer meets a main criterion for having eliminated measles as a public health threat. That status hinges on sporadic outbreaks fizzling out within a year. Utah’s outbreak has lasted for longer, since June 2025.

Nearly 400 people have been hospitalized with measles in the US this year and last, three people have died, and at least three suffered brain swelling with lingering symptoms.

This month, the Centers for Disease Control...

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