RFK Jr. Now Responsible for 35-Year Record High in Measles

Measles cases in the U.S. have surpassed last year’s totals and reached a new 35-year high, and we’re only in July.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Friday that there have been 2,318 measles cases in 2026 so far, greater than the 2,289 cases reported in 2025 and much higher than the 283 cases reported in 2024. The last time the numbers were this high was 1991, and the past 18 months have seen more measles cases than the last 25 years combined.

The vast majority of the infected people—93 percent—were unvaccinated, according to the CDC. The number is expected to only grow higher, as new outbreaks have been reported in Wyoming, Delaware, and Arizona. It doesn’t help that the CDC hasn’t had a permanent director for most of President Trump’s second term, and Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is skeptical of all vaccines, has a history of dismissing measles, even though it can be fatal.

In 2000, the U.S. had declared measles eradicated in the country, but the Pan American Health Organization will review that status later this year. Meanwhile, Kennedy’s HHS department isn’t openly supporting vaccination, with the secretary suggesting that Vitamin A is an effective treatment for measles.

Kennedy remains on the job, even though he has reportedly checked out of his responsibilities as a Cabinet secretary with the White House stepping in to manage HHS in March. Meanwhile, the country is dealing with an explosive diarrhea outbreak caused by a one-celled parasite linked to tainted lettuce, a flesh-eating parasite infesting cattle, and a new salmonella risk for millions of America’s eggs.

Americans have little, if any, confidence that government officials like Kennedy are up to the task of solving these public health crises. With all of the budget cuts to government regulators, the U.S. probably hasn’t seen the last disease outbreak of Trump’s presidency. ...