US measles cases hit 35-year high as expert warns vaccine hesitancy is fueling the outbreak

RFK JR, Pennsylvania — Measles infections across the United States have reached a 35-year high, with more than 3,000 cases reported nationwide, and a public health expert says growing vaccine hesitancy — including signals from federal officials — is a driving force behind the surge.

Cases and health response

Dr. Tyler Evans, CEO of Wellness Equity Alliance and former chief medical officer for New York City, said the scale of the outbreak demands urgent action and warns that politics must be removed from public health decisions."This is the largest outbreak since 1991," Evans said.

"We really have to ensure that politics stays out of public health."Evans said measles is one of the most infectious diseases known.

That level of infectiousness, he said, makes vaccination the only reliable defense.

He said a lack of public confidence in vaccines has been a long-standing challenge, one that accelerated sharply during the COVID-19 pandemic.

With hesitancy now being amplified by public figures and federal officials, Evans said the consequences are showing up in case counts."Microbes don't know the difference" between red states and blue states, Evans said.

"Politics really needs to stay out of public health."Evans said community leaders must step in to bridge the gap between scientists and the public, especially in areas where access to primary care is limited and patients may only get 15 minutes with a doctor."The community leaders need to be connected to the scientists and the public health professionals," Evans said.

Outbreak background

In a room of 100 unvaccinated people, roughly 20 could contract the virus — a transmission rate far exceeding influenza, which spreads to one or two people under similar conditions.