A University of Maryland study predicts that eliminating Florida's measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine mandate for school attendance could trigger the largest measles epidemic in the state. The warning comes as measles cases nationwide approach 3,700 this year amid declining vaccine coverage.
Bangladesh is experiencing its worst measles outbreak on record, with over 1,000 children dead and more than 50,000 confirmed or suspected cases since March. The crisis stems from vaccination gaps that left millions of children unprotected, overwhelming hospitals with shortages and overcrowding.
WHO data reveals Canada has approximately half the measles cases of the United States despite having only one-tenth the population, indicating a significantly higher per capita infection rate. The U.S. has reported 2,465 cases for the year, with 94 new cases added in a single week, mostly in Pennsylvania, while Manitoba has seen cases drop to just two in July.
Senator Bill Cassidy, Republican chair of the Senate health committee, blamed the Trump administration's vaccine-skeptical policies for recent measles deaths in Pennsylvania during a confirmation hearing for surgeon general nominee Dr. Nicole Saphier. Cassidy pressed Saphier to state that vaccines do not cause autism and to distance herself from HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s anti-vaccine positions, which she declined to fully do.
