US Anti-Vaccine Rhetoric Puts Global Measles Elimination at Risk
Countries worldwide are losing or teetering on the edge of losing their hard-won measles elimination status, with experts pointing to declining vaccination rates and concerning signals from the United States government. The World Health Organization confirmed in late January that six European nations—the United Kingdom, Spain, Austria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Uzbekistan—have officially lost their measles elimination designation, meaning the virus has circulated continuously in these countries for over twelve months.
Vaccination Rates Plummet Across Europe
To effectively contain measles, health authorities recommend that at least ninety-five percent of children receive full vaccination. However, vaccination coverage has been falling dramatically across Europe. In the United Kingdom, only eighty-four percent of five-year-olds had received both recommended doses of the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine as of 2024. This marks the second time in less than a decade that the UK has lost its measles elimination status.
Jennifer Nuzzo, director of the Pandemic Center at Brown University, identifies the UK as "ground zero" for vaccine hesitancy, tracing this trend back to discredited research from former physician Andrew Wakefield. His 1998 study falsely linking the MMR vaccine to autism was retracted by The Lancet, and Wakefield subsequently lost his medical credentials. Despite this, the debunked connection between vaccines and autism is gaining renewed global traction, partly through the influence of US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
American Rhetoric Crosses Borders
"The rhetoric that happens in the United States spills over across borders to other countries," Nuzzo emphasized. "We live in a global ecosystem, so when they hear, well, [the vaccine is] not good enough for the Americans, maybe it's not good for us either." Kennedy, known for his association with the anti-vaccine organization Children's Health Defense, continues to promote Wakefield's disproven claims. Behind this rhetoric lies a profitable industry; a report from the Center for Countering Digital Hate estimates the "Anti-Vaxx industry" generates at least thirty-six million dollars annually.
Before assuming his role as health secretary in 2024, Kennedy received millions in combined income from Children's Health Defense and law firms targeting vaccine manufacturers. Under his leadership, the United States now risks losing its own measles elimination status. Measles frequently spreads through international transmission, and neighboring countries Canada and Mexico have also experienced rising outbreaks. Canada lost its elimination status in November of last year, while Mexico's status remains under threat.
Funding Cuts Undermine Global Surveillance
Perhaps the most significant signal of the Trump administration's deprioritization of measles is the decision to withdraw funding from the Global Measles and Rubella Laboratory Network. Coordinated by the World Health Organization, this network of nearly eight hundred international laboratories has historically been funded by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dr. Alonzo Plough, chief science officer at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, explained that breakthrough measles cases often originate from international travel and unvaccinated children.
"Viruses don't know borders," Plough stated, highlighting the critical need for international coordination to prevent the spread of highly contagious viruses like measles. He described a former "network of protection" built on tight partnerships with the CDC and surveillance networks such as GMRLN and the Pan American Health Organization. Without sustained funding, this surveillance system could collapse just as measles cases surge globally.
Uncertain Future for Global Health Efforts
A WHO spokesperson warned that without GMRLN funding, "there is no global network," and high-quality laboratory surveillance would be severely compromised, putting member states at high risk of failing to detect and contain outbreaks promptly. The US Department of Health and Human Services did not address specific questions about Kennedy's vaccine stance or GMRLN's status, instead noting that HHS is working with the White House on global health and foreign assistance policies that "first and foremost protect Americans."
Nuzzo expressed concern that the US government's failure to publicly declare measles a global health priority could have a "chilling effect" on how other countries approach the virus. She worries that the world has entered an era where public fear of measles has relaxed, with some individuals considering natural infection as an option. "Listen, this is a bad disease. You do not want to get this disease, OK?" Nuzzo urged, explaining that measles can cause long-term health effects and weaken the immune system, making survivors more susceptible to other infections.
Ultimately, Nuzzo fears that America's "biggest exports" in this context are "lies" about measles vaccines, rendering the entire globe more vulnerable to preventable outbreaks. The interconnected nature of modern travel and communication means that anti-vaccine rhetoric in one nation can swiftly undermine public health achievements worldwide, jeopardizing decades of progress toward measles elimination.
