During congressional testimony on Friday, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. defended America’s handling of measles outbreaks, asserting the nation outperforms all others globally in containing the disease’s spread.
Kennedy made these statements while appearing before lawmakers to justify proposed budget reductions exceeding 12% for his department during his first congressional appearance in several months.
“The measles outbreak is not an American phenomenon. It is global. It’s happening all over the world. And we’ve done better under my leadership than any country in the world in limiting it,” Kennedy stated during the hearing.
While measles cases are indeed climbing worldwide, with countries like Mexico, Canada, and Bangladesh experiencing significant outbreaks—including over 100 child deaths in Bangladesh—health experts question Kennedy’s assessment of America’s progress.
Data reveals the United States faces worsening protection against measles transmission due to declining immunization rates. Public health specialists have criticized Kennedy’s approach to addressing rising case numbers, noting his hesitancy to champion vaccination efforts while questioning vaccine safety and promoting unproven treatments.
The country currently experiences its most severe measles resurgence since 1991, with 2026 case numbers already exceeding last year’s record-breaking figures. This trend threatens America’s measles elimination status, maintained for 26 years.
Given measles’ extreme contagiousness, preventing outbreaks requires 95% vaccination coverage. National immunization rates have dropped from 95.2% during the 2019-20 academic year to 92.5% in 2024-25, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention statistics.
