Anxious parents and health officials are dealing with the all-too-real cost of vaccine refusal amid a spreading measles outbreak in Texas. Almost 500 cases have been reported in Texas alone, leading to hospitalizations and a visit from Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
The U.S. could lose its hard-won measles elimination status with more than 600 measles infections nationwide. From unvaccinated children’s funerals to frantic community meetings, this crisis underscores a grim reality: even in 2025, diseases once nearly eradicated can still wreak havoc when trust in vaccines falters.
