Measles crisis in the USA: More uncertainty, more infections

Infections in the USA More uncertainty, more measles cases As of: November 10, 2026 • 1:13 p.m

The USA is experiencing the largest measles outbreak in decades - also because the health minister is spreading contradictory messages about vaccination. The country could lose its “measles-free” status this week.

The first measles death in decades was reported in Wisconsin last week: an infant. There have already been eight deaths nationwide this year.

There were three deaths in the US last week alone. More than 5,100 people have already been infected this year - more than in 35 years.

A baby died in Wisconsin for the first time in more than three and a half decades. more

The highly contagious virus is spreading more and more, says Ryan Westergaard, an epidemiologist and professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The main problem: There are now so many people without sufficient protection that the virus is constantly finding new carriers.

Because vaccination rates have been falling for years. Only a good 92 percent of American kindergarten children are fully vaccinated against measles. For effective community protection it would have to be around 95 percent.

Among other things, immunizations against rota viruses and influenza are affected. more

Religious communities such as the Amish and Mennonites, in which many people refuse vaccinations, existed before. But the vaccination gaps have now also grown outside of these groups. Many routine vaccinations were missed during the corona pandemic.

And politics contributes to the uncertainty, says epidemiologist William Moss from Johns Hopkins University. When it comes to vaccinations, the government is sending “contradictory signals.” Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recommends "unproven measles treatments with antibiotics, steroids or vitamins."

For years, Kennedy was one of the most well-known vaccination critics in the USA. Even if he is currently emphasizing how effective the vaccination against measles is. But many parents remain skeptical.

The designated US Secretary of Health Kennedy is spreading false claims like a conveyor belt. more

Some states responded to growing skepticism years ago and tightened vaccination rules. In 2019, New York abolished religious exemptions from compulsory vaccinations for school children.

With success, says epidemiologist and science journalist Céline Gounder on the CBS broadcaster: "Since the exemptions from the vaccination requirement were abolished, the vaccination rate in schools has increased by an average of five percentage points."

But the law does not reach all children. Anyone who is taught at home is not subject to this vaccination requirement. And so there are still outbreaks of measles in New York.

The World Health Organization is concerned about the health of the world's population. more

The health authorities in particularly affected regions are currently trying to create trust. In Pennsylvania, for example, they are setting up vaccination stations in fire stations and relying on personal conversations.

And people are actually coming who have never been vaccinated before, pediatrician Jennifer Wallace tells NPR. "For many it is the first vaccination of their lives. The fact that they trust us enough to come is a great honor."

Wisconsin now wants to vaccinate particularly at-risk infants starting at six months of age - measles vaccination normally doesn't begin until they are one year old.

Measles was considered eliminated in the United States in 2000. This week, an international commission of experts will examine whether this is still true.

This topic in the program: tagesschau.de | Measles in the USA: Eight dead and no end in sight | 11/10/2026 | 11:00 a.m