Viewpoint: Who and what’s to blame for the surge in vaccine-preventable diseases? Barbara Pfeffer Billauer | June 8, 2026

https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2026/06/08/viewpoint-who-and-whats-to-blame-for-the-surge-in-vaccine-preventable-diseases/ What causes an epidemic to spread? Don’t underestimate the power of rhetoric and oratory by politicians. About 1,500 measles cases have been reported in the US so far in 2026. In 2025, almost 2300 cases were reported, the highest number since 1992 when over 2100 cases occurred, a more than a 4.5-fold increase from 2024. The majority of those infected were unvaccinated. The surge not only includes three deaths last year, but escalated hospital admissions by 17% , and increased medical costs by an estimated $244 million in 2025 alone.