The latest numbers from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are alarming - health authorities have registered nearly 1,300 cases of measles in 38 states. This is the highest number since 1992, ARD recalls. The number is alarming, including because in 2000, measles in the US was declared an eradicated disease.
There have already been three deaths this year - two children in Texas and an adult in New Mexico, all three of whom were not vaccinated. These are the first measles deaths in the US in ten years. There have been three measles deaths in the past 25 years.
Experts fear an even greater spread
The end of the epidemic is not in sight. That is why experts fear that the United States will lose its status as a country in which the disease has been defeated. "This is a very worrying signal about the direction in which we are moving", epidemiologist William Moss told the "New York Times".
Measles cases in the United States are increasing, as the number of Americans who do not want to get vaccinated is growing, as official data shows.
From the 2019/2020 school year to the 2022/2023 school year, the quota of preschool children immunized against measles has dropped from 95 percent to below 92.7. And according to health authorities, an immunization quota of 95 percent with two doses of the vaccine is necessary to stop the spread of the disease. In some municipalities, it is significantly lower, the ARD points out.
The outbreak is in Texas
This is the case, for example, in the western part of Texas, where this year the largest number of cases was detected - over 750. At certain periods at the beginning of the year, 15-20 new cases were reported daily.
A particularly large number of diseases has been registered in Gaines County, where the quota of those vaccinated is below the recommended level. In the 2024-2025 school year, almost one in four preschool children did not have the necessary vaccination.
In neighboring New Mexico and Oklahoma, dozens of cases of measles are associated with the outbreak of the epidemic in Texas. Therefore, special immunization centers were created in Texas, and many of the affected counties introduced additional vaccination recommendations.
Rules vary from state to state
Immunization regulations in the US are not the same across states. Vaccination is mandatory for students - unless contraindicated for health reasons.
But although individual states are responsible for immunizations, federal actions can affect them. For example, during his election campaign, Donald Trump announced that he would not provide federal funding to any school that introduced mandatory vaccination. The president has never signed an executive order with such content.
The harm of Robert Kennedy
Many Americans consider vaccinations unnecessary or even dangerous. In addition, the US Secretary of Health is a well-known opponent of immunizations. During the current measles outbreak, Robert Kennedy first recommended vitamin A and fish oil therapy. He also said that poor nutrition played a role in the severity of the disease, and that while vaccinations could prevent it, they led to even more severe illness or even death.
Kennedy had previously advocated that immunizations could cause autism, a theory that has been scientifically disproven. After the massive outbreak in Texas and the growing number of patients, Kennedy still called immunizations the most effective method against the spread of smallpox.
In June, the Secretary of Health fired all 17 members of the Immunization Commission in the United States and replaced them with his own nominees. The commission advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and has a great influence on the country's health policy.
Among the new members are popular anti-vaxxers, ARD writes. "I think we are in a dangerous situation because measles and other vaccine-preventable diseases are spreading", commented Adam Ratner of the Committee on Infectious Diseases of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
At the same time, a Reuters/Ipsos survey shows that only 31 percent of Americans believe that the Trump administration is handling the measles outbreak responsibly. In addition, three-quarters believe that parents have a duty to vaccinate their children.
Author: Nina Barth ARD