The ‘strangling angel’ returns? RFK Jr.’s policies could foster a resurgence of now-rare diseases
by LFV Founder Jennifer Herricks, PhD for the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
The United States achieved a milestone in 2000 when measles was declared eliminated—meaning there were no uncontrolled domestic outbreaks of the disease lasting 12 or more months. Through vaccination, the country had built a sturdy wall of immunity that for years prevented the deadly and dangerous virus from taking root. But with falling immunization rates in some parts of the country, that wall of protection is beginning to show cracks. This year has already seen more measles cases than during all of 2019, which held the record for yearly cases since the elimination declaration. Measles is the first vaccine-preventable disease that begins spreading when too many people forgo vaccination. In public health circles, it’s considered a canary in the coal mine, a preview of what could come next.
