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Bill Gates told Reuters in an interview that vaccine hesitancy in wealthy countries has made eradicating measles globally impossible. He attributes this trend partly to influence from figures like Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who have promoted skepticism towards vaccines for decades. The Microsoft co-founder emphasized the rise in measles cases in developed nations due to declining vaccination rates, contrasting it with stable immunization levels in lower-income regions where the disease remains more deadly due to poor nutrition and healthcare systems.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-15,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Bill Gates told Reuters that eradicating measles globally is no longer feasible due to increasing vaccine hesitancy in wealthy countries. The Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist previously aimed to eliminate the disease with his foundation but now deems it unattainable because of growing skepticism promoted by figures like Robert F. Kennedy Jr in the United States under President Donald Trump's administration. Gates noted that while around 2 million children died annually before the measles vaccine was introduced in the 1960s, currently about 100,000 children die each year from the disease, largely due to lack of vaccination. He considers this a tragic development for global public health efforts.
Written for “Measles Vaccine Hesitancy” on 2026-09-17,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
The article's own words the score was based on. Each is quoted
verbatim and was checked against the article text before being
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Leaning score -0.35 for article 10229 (high confidence, 1 verified quote) · logged 2026-09-15
Wiping out measles impossible due to vaccine hesitancy in rich countries
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Wiping → wipe → countries
, says Bill Gates
AI
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Gates → say → ?
LONDON - Vaccine hesitancy in rich countries means ending measles as a global public health threat is not currently possible
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ending → mean → threat
, Bill Gates told Reuters in an interview.
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Gates → tell → interview
The Microsoft co-founder turned billionaire philanthropist said wiping out the killer childhood disease had previously been a potential goal for his eponymous foundation, which focuses on global health and the world’s poorest people.
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which → turn → health
But it was now off the table due to increased vaccine hesitancy in wealthier nations, part of a wave of scepticism championed for decades by the now health secretary in the United States under President Donald Trump, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
“At one point, the foundation wanted to eradicate measles, but the vaccine hesitancy in rich countries has meant that’s not on our list of goals,” Gates said.
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Gates → increase → goals
“I think that’s kind of tragic.”
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that → think → ?
Measles, among the world’s most contagious diseases, causes a high fever, a cough and a tell-tale rash.
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Measles → cause → fever
The virus killed around 2 million children every year before the introduction of a vaccine in the 1960s.
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virus → kill → 1960s
Nowadays, around 100,000 children die annually, largely in countries where conflict or logistics make immunisation difficult.
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immunisation → die → countries
The WHO says vaccination rates need to be above 95 per cent to prevent outbreaks.
But recent years have also seen a surge in cases in countries where the disease was almost forgotten, including in the United States and Europe, as vaccination rates have fallen.
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rates → say → States
Gates said that vaccine hesitancy had at least not spread to lower-income countries, where measles can be much deadlier than in richer countries due to malnutrition and healthcare gaps.
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measles → say → malnutrition
“There’s always that concern that if you have doubters in the US, that becomes a global thing,” he said.
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he → ’ → US
“But we haven’t seen an increase in vaccine hesitancy in the countries the foundation works in.”
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foundation → see → countries
Aid cuts
Gates was speaking ahead of the foundation’s annual Goalkeepers event, which looks at progress towards the United Nations global development goals set for 2030, including on improving health.
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which → speak → health
In 2025’s report, Gates warned of the impact of aid cuts led by Trump’s administration, and followed by other wealthy countries like Britain and Germany, on the health of the world’s poorest.
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Gates → warn → world
For 2026, he said the cuts had likely caused many deaths, but the restoration of some money had prevented the worst-case scenario.
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restoration → say → scenario
Efforts from impacted countries and other health groups also held off disaster, as Reuters has reported.
“The most dire predictions, which went above 10 million deaths, we don’t see that taking place,” Gates said, adding that he continued to urge governments to restore aid or at least not cut it further.
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he → impact → it
“It’s still a very tragic situation.”
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It → ’ → ?
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