Normalization and apathy from the Trump admin is making health experts less hopeful measles can be contained
Published
April 8, 2026 6:30AM (EDT)
A fact sheet for measles sits on a table at a mobile clinic offering free vaccinations on February 6, 2026 in Spartanburg, South Carolina. The clinic offered free MMR vaccinations as the South Carolina Department of Health reported 876 cases of measles earlier in the week, most centered in Spartanburg County. (Photo by Sean Rayford/Getty Images)
Measles has made a major comeback in the U.S. and the pace of infections does not seem to be slowing any time soon. Already, the country is on track to surpass last year’s number of measles infections. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released updated data indicating that the U.S. total has reached more than 1,600 measles infections as of April 3, 2026. Last year, the CDC confirmed 2,286 measles cases for all of 2025, the highest number of cases since 1991, but we’re already on track to beat that record. What’s more, the Trump administration has pushed a key review of the country’s measles-free status until after the midterm elections.
