While every death is tragic, seven deaths nationally over the course of two years hardly sounds on its face like an epidemic. That is, until you consider the context: Those seven deaths since January 2025 were related to measles infections — and they represent more than twice as many measles fatalities than America had seen over the previous two decades combined.
k5:G 4=2DDlQDF3D4C:36C\@?=J =66\2CE:4=6\E6IEQ 52E2\?@D?:AA6ElQQmkAmp55 E@ E92E E96 DFDE2:?65 ?6H DFC86 :? ?@?\72E2= >62D=6D 42D6D — 2=>@DE a[b__ =2DE J62C 2?5 >@C6 E92? b[c__ D@ 72C E9:D J62C[ 7@C 2 5:D62D6 E92E 367@C6 E92E H2D 86?6C2==J F?56C `__ 42D6D A6C J62C D:?46 E96 EFC? @7 E9:D 46?EFCJ — 2?5 E96 D4@A6 @7 E96 :DDF6 4@>6D 7F==J :?E@ 7@4FD]k^Amk^5:Gm
k5:G 4=2DDlQDF3D4C:36C\@?=J =66\2CE:4=6\E6IEQ 52E2\?@D?:AA6ElQQmkAm(96? A6@A=6 C676C6?46 E96 4F=EFC6 H2CD ?@H C28:?8 :? p>6C:42[ :E’D 2 >6E2A9@C:42= 56D4C:AE:@? @7 @FC 566A D@4:@\A@=:E:42= 5:G:D:@?D E96D6 52JD] qFE :? E96 C62=> @7 >62D=6D G244:?2E:@?D[ kDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>Qm:E’D ?@ =@?86C ;FDE 2 >6E2A9@C] x? 2 C62= H2J[k^DA2?m E96 4F=EFC6 H2CD 2C6 ?@H =@88:?8 E9@FD2?5D @7 42DF2=E:6D 2??F2==J 2?5 2 D>2== 3FE 8C@H:?8 ?F>36C @7 562E9D] k^Amk5:G 4=2DDlQDF3D4C:36C\@?=J =66\2CE:4=6\E6IEQ 52E2\?@D?:AA6ElQQmkAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>Qm%96 42FD6 @7 E92E A96?@>6?@? :D?’E 2 >JDE6CJ]k^DA2?m $:?46 E96 r~'xs A2?56>:4 D:I J62CD 28@ A@=:E:4:K65 H92E D9@F=5 36 E96 DEC:4E=J >65:42= :DDF6 @7 G244:?2E:@? D4:6?46[ G244:?6 96D:E2?4J 92D DAC625 =:<6[ H6==[ 2 G:CFD[ =62G:?8 FD 2== GF=?6C23=6 kDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>QmE@ 2 E9C62E E92E <?@HD ?@ A@=:E:42= A2CEJk^DA2?m] ]]]k^Amk^5:Gmk5:G 4=2DDlQDF3D4C:36C\@?=J =66\2CE:4=6\E6IEQ 52E2\?@D?:AA6ElQQmkAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>Qm|62D=6D[ @7 4@FCD6[ :D 2 9:89=J :?764E:@FD 2:C3@C?6 G:C2= 5:D62D6 E92E 42FD6D 76G6C 2?5 C2D96D[ 2?5 :? 6IEC6>6 42D6D 42? EC:886C A?6F>@?:2[ DH6==:?8 @7 E96 3C2:? 2?5 @E96C =:76\E9C62E6?:?8 4@?5:E:@?D]k^DA2?mk^AmkAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>Qm%96 >@56C? p>6C:42? E6?56?4J E@ 5:D>:DD >62D=6D 2D 2 36?:8? 49:=59@@5 C:E6 @7 A2DD286 92D ?6G6C 366? 244FC2E6] $E2E:DE:42==J[ :E’D 72E2= E@ 36EH66? ` 2?5 b 49:=5C6? @FE @7 6G6CJ `[___ H9@ 4@?EC24E :E[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 r6?E6CD 7@C s:D62D6 r@?EC@= 2?5 !C6G6?E:@?] %96 (@C=5 w62=E9 ~C82?:K2E:@? C6A@CED D@>6 hd[___ >62D=6D 562E9D 8=@32==J :? a_ac 2=@?6]k^DA2?mk^AmkAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>Qmp>6C:42 92D 366? D9:6=565 7C@> E92E 5625=J C62=:EJ 7@C >@C6 E92? 2 86?6C2E:@? ?@H[ E92?<D E@ 9:89=J 67764E:G6 >62D=6D G244:?6D 2?5 WF?E:= C646?E=JX p>6C:42?D’ 2=>@DE\F?:G6CD2= 2446AE2?46 @7 E96>] %96 5:D62D6 H2D 564=2C65 67764E:G6=J 6=:>:?2E65 :? E96 &]$] :? a___]k^DA2?mk^AmkAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>QmuC@> E92E J62C F?E:= =2DE J62C[ E96C6 H6C6 ;FDE E9C66 >62D=6D\C6=2E65 562E9D :? E96 6?E:C6 4@F?ECJ WEH@ :? a__b 2?5 @?6 :? a_`dX[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 rsr] %96? a_ad 2=@?6 D2H E9C66 562E9D — EH@ :? %6I2D 2?5 @?6 :? }6H |6I:4@]k^DA2?mk^AmkAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>Qmu@FC >@C6 562E9D 92G6 366? C6A@CE65 D@ 72C E9:D J62C[ 2== :? !6??DJ=G2?:2[ H9:49 :D 4FCC6?E=J 6IA6C:6?4:?8 E96 H@CDE @FE3C62< :? E96 4@F?ECJ[ H:E9 D@>6 f__ C6A@CE65 42D6D] %96C6 2D 6G6CJH96C6[ E96 G2DE >2;@C:EJ @7 42D6D 2C6 :? 49:=5C6?[ 2?5 E96 G2DE >2;@C:EJ H6C6 F?G244:?2E65 W:?4=F5:?8 2== 7@FC 72E2=:E:6DX]k^DA2?mk^AmkAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>Qm(9:=6 |:DD@FC: 92D?’E D66? E96 <:?5D @7 ?F>36CD A=28F:?8 D@>6 @E96C DE2E6D[ E96 `_ 42D6D C6A@CE65 96C6 D@ 72C E9:D J62C :D E96 >@DE :E’D D66? :? 2E =62DE EH@ 564256D] xE’D ?@ 4@:?4:56?46 E92E E96 @FE3C62< 4@>6D 2D E96 DE2E6’D G244:?2E:@? C2E6 92D 5:AA65 36=@H h_T — H6== D9@CE @7 E96 hdT C2E6 4@?D:56C65 ?646DD2CJ 7@C 96C5 :>>F?:EJ — 244@C5:?8 E@ 52E2 82E96C65 3J zuu] %92E E@@ :D C67=64E:G6 @7 E96 EC6?5 ?2E:@?2==J]k^DA2?mk^AmkAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>Qm{:<6 D@ >F49 @7 H92E 2:=D p>6C:42 E@52J[ E96 C6DFC86?46 @7 >62D=6D 42?’E 36 =2:5 6?E:C6=J 2E !C6D:56?E s@?2=5 %CF>A’D 5@@CDE6A 3FE >FDE 36 =2:5 A2CE=J E96C6]k^DA2?mk^AmkAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>Qmp7E6C AC6D:5:?8 @G6C E96 =:89E?:?8\72DE 56G6=@A>6?E @7 E96 r~'xs G244:?6 5FC:?8 9:D 7:CDE E6C>[ %CF>A :?6IA=:423=J 96=5 E92E >:C24F=@FD 249:6G6>6?E 2E 2C>’D\=6?8E9[ 7@==@H:?8 E96 A@=:E:42= C:89EVD 4F=EFC6 H2CC:@CD 5@H? E96 2?E:\G2I C233:E 9@=6 C2E96C E92? =625:?8 E96> @FE] %CF>A’D D64@?5\E6C> 2AA@:?E>6?E @7 =@?8\E:>6 G244:?6 D<6AE:4 #@36CE u] z6??65J yC] 2D w62=E9 2?5 wF>2? $6CG:46D D64C6E2CJ 92D 5@?6 ?@E9:?8 E@ C6G6CD6 E92E 52?86C@FD 4@FCD6]k^DA2?mk^AmkAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>Qm}@ 2>@F?E @7 :56@=@8:42= 5632E6 492?86D E96 D4:6?E:7:4 724EDi |62D=6D G244:?6D 2C6 D276[ 67764E:G6 2?5 ?646DD2CJ]k^DA2?mk^AmkAm$@ H62C 2?J 4@=@C 92E J@F =:<6[ H2E49 2?J 423=6 ?6HD J@F =:<6[ G@E6 9@H J@F =:<6 :? }@G6>36C — 3FE A=62D6 5@?’E 6?52?86C J@FC 49:=5C6? 2?5 @E96CD 3J >:DE2<:?8 2 >65:42= :DDF6 7@C 2 A@=:E:42= @?6] k^Amk^5:Gmk^5:Gm

