Federal health authorities reported an additional 178 cases of measles in the US this week, as the vaccine-preventable illness continues to sicken people across at least 43 outbreaks.
asserted
illness → report → outbreaks
The new data reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) comes as experts criticize the agency for lack of transparency, and as health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr takes steps to further upend US vaccine infrastructure.
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Jr → report → infrastructure
The CDC reported 4,588 cases of measles across the country in 2026 as of Friday – more than double the tally for 2025.
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CDC → report → 2025
Pennsylvania alone reported 1,338 cases on the same day.
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Pennsylvania → report → day
The CDC also reported large outbreaks in South Carolina and Utah, both of which are reporting more than 500 cases.
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both → report → cases
In spite of rising measles numbers, official tallies represent an undercount of the disease.
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tallies → rise → disease
Measles is widely regarded as one of the most contagious diseases known to medicine.
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Measles → regard → medicine
Its most common symptoms – rash, runny nose, fever and cough – may not immediately send the infected to a doctor.
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symptoms → send → doctor
Measles sends one in five unvaccinated people who become infected to the hospital, and one to three people in 1,000 die of disease-related complications.
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people → send → complications
The measles vaccine is 97% effective at preventing the disease.
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vaccine → prevent → disease
Vaccine side effects include injection-site soreness and low-grade fever.
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effects → include → soreness
In Pennsylvania, which has had the worst outbreak in the nation for months, state authorities have reported five measles-associated deaths and are investigating a sixth.
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authorities → have → sixth
The CDC has reported three measles deaths nationally, but has refused to say where the third death took place, obscuring whether it is counting a death in Pennsylvania or elsewhere.
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it → report → Pennsylvania
Kennedy reportedly asked senior CDC officials in September to remove a measles death from the official tally after he questioned whether the disease contributed to the death, according to Reuters.
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disease → ask → Reuters
In addition to criticism of how the CDC has tallied measles deaths, Health and Human Services (HHS) this week announced changes to vaccine injury reporting systems.
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Health → tally → systems
A proposal will allow doctors to bill for reporting suspected vaccine injuries, among other changes.
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doctors → allow → changes
The system has proved useful for researchers tracking rare vaccine safety issues.
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system → prove → issues
However, it has also become a source of misinformation for anti-vaccine activists, who point to VAERS to make claims, however unfounded, about safety.
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who → become → safety
All vaccines have risks – a fact acknowledged by vaccinologists.
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vaccines → have → vaccinologists
Before Kennedy’s appointment to the health department, an expert panel considered each vaccine change individually to decide whether benefits outweigh risks.
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benefits → consider → risks
Kennedy fired all 17 sitting members of that board.
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Kennedy → fire → board
He replaced them with members with whom he ideologically aligned.
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he → replace → whom
A court blocked the members’ appointment in March.
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court → block → March
In his time as secretary, Kennedy also misleadingly claimed children get more than 90 vaccine doses; linked vaccines to autism in spite of extensive evidence to the contrary; directed the CDC to remove claims that vaccines do not cause autism from its website; claimed the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine contains “aborted fetal debris”; and stated that vitamin A and cod liver oil may help children with measles, which leading physicians described as misleading.
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physicians → claim → which
The Aporia
