Science Quickly U.S. measles cases surge as vaccination rates drop
Apr 8, 2026
Lauren Young, Associate Editor for Health and Medicine at Scientific American and health reporter, breaks down the recent U.S. measles surge. She traces where outbreaks began. She explains why vaccination rates are falling and how exemptions and social media spread misinformation. She outlines contagion risks, herd immunity needs, and public-health responses.
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High Herd Immunity Needed To Stop Measles
- Measles returned because local vaccination coverage fell below the high threshold needed for control.
- Lauren Young notes two MMR doses give ~97% protection, but pockets of low uptake allow outbreaks despite national support for vaccines.
Localized Pockets, Not National Attitudes, Fuel Outbreaks
- National vaccine sentiment remains pro-vaccine but localized pockets of very low coverage drive outbreaks.
- Young cites targeted misinformation campaigns, like among Minnesota's Somali community, that deliberately reduced uptake.
Spartanburg Outbreak Linked To Rising Religious Exemptions
- South Carolina's Spartanburg County saw ~1,000 measles cases concentrated in communities with rising religious exemptions.
- Martha Edwards described schools with vaccination rates as low as 21% after exemption rates doubled in five years.