Measles is the imminent threat America should be concerned about

Recently, the Trump administration offered $20 billion to provide re-insurance coverage for vessels sailing through the Strait of Hormuz amid conflict in the Middle East. Yet, closer to home, there is an immediate public health threat posed by the resurgence of measles, a serious disease once under control that needs federal support. 

Measles outbreaks are a medical and systems issue, emerging from vaccination behavior, public trust, health policy and the capacity of the public health infrastructure to handle increasing demands. One can rightfully ask whether the idea of federal support for emergency economic issues should also apply to the costs associated with measles. 

In 2025, the U.S. had more than 2,000 cases of measles. As of March 2026, there are more than 1,200 cases. Measles occurs overwhelmingly in unvaccinated individuals. To protect the population, a vaccination rate of at least 95 percent is needed, as this virus is highly contagious.

As vaccination rates continue to fall, we will inevitably see more measles outbreaks.  Projections show a 10 percent decrease in vaccination rates will result in more than 11 million new measles cases in the U.S. over the next 25 years. We are beginning to see this cause and effect now, as measles outbreaks are increasing in under vaccinated communities, with more than 100 cases in 18 different states last week alone.  

Along with the disease, the economic burden of measles is blossoming in several areas. First, at the public health level, responding to measles requires a considerable workforce to control the spread of the disease. For every case of measles,........

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