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CatastrophicPublic HealthSecond Term

US Measles Cases Reach the Most Since 1991 as the Trump Administration Cuts 20,000 HHS Employees

January 20, 2025Updated October 2, 202637 sources27 key facts

The Trump administration's systematic dismantling of public health infrastructure under HHS Secretary RFK Jr. has resulted in measurable harm: measles cases surged to a 33-year high with at least 4 deaths, whooping cough cases remained elevated, vaccination rates plummeted, and critical programs preventing lead poisoning, HIV, and maternal mortality were eliminated.

The cuts included 20,000 HHS employees, $11.4 billion clawed back from state health departments, elimination of pandemic preparedness offices, and cancellation of $500 million in mRNA vaccine research, leaving America vulnerable to the next health crisis.

Key Facts27
  • 01Roughly 2,286 confirmed US measles cases in 2025, the most since 1991, across 45 jurisdictions and 48 outbreaks, with three deaths
  • 02At least 4 confirmed deaths from measles: 2 children in Texas, 1 child in Los Angeles, 1 adult in New Mexico - all unvaccinated
  • 03176 hospitalizations from measles; 1 in 5 children who contract measles requires hospitalization
  • 04South Carolina outbreak: 847 cases centered in Spartanburg County as of January 30, 2026
  • 05Texas outbreak: 802 cases, 99 hospitalizations, 2 deaths in school-aged children, $10 million in costs
  • 06CORRECTION: The Region of the Americas lost its measles-free status in November 2025, driven by Canada; the US-specific review is pending for November 2026 and the US has not lost the designation
  • 0797% of measles cases were in unvaccinated individuals
  • 08Kindergarten vaccination rates fell from 95.2% (2019-2020) to 92.5% (2024-2025), leaving 286,000 kindergartners at risk
  • 09Non-medical vaccine exemptions rose from 2.2% to 3.4% from 2019-2020 to 2024-2025
  • 1039 states had MMR vaccination rates below 95% target in 2024-2025, up from 28 states in 2019-2020
  • 11About 28,000 pertussis cases in 2025, far above pre-pandemic levels but below 2024, the recent peak at more than 43,000
  • 12HHS workforce cut by 20,000 employees (from 82,000 to 62,000) - nearly 25% reduction
  • 13$11.4 billion in COVID-19 pandemic funds clawed back from state and local health departments on March 25, 2025
  • 14CDC budget proposed to be cut by 53% in FY 2026 compared to FY 2024
  • 15Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response Policy (OPPR) completely dismantled - all 6 staff departed by June 2025
  • 16$500 million in mRNA vaccine research grants cancelled, plus $700 million pulled from Moderna for future flu vaccines
  • 1722 projects on mRNA vaccine development worth nearly $500 million were cancelled
  • 18CDC's Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention and Surveillance Branch eliminated during Milwaukee lead exposure crisis
  • 19CDC's Maternal and Child Health Branch shut down - all 22 staff terminated, ending treatment for 380,000 HIV+ pregnant women
  • 207 of 15 branches in Global HIV and TB division eliminated - terminating staff providing HIV treatment to 300,000+ children
  • 21Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) shuttered indefinitely in February 2025
  • 22American Academy of Pediatrics had $12 million in federal grants abruptly terminated in retaliation for opposing RFK Jr.
  • 23Dallas County Health laid off 21 staff; Jackson County lost $1.1 million and laid off 3 disease monitoring staff
  • 24Minnesota Department of Health lost 25% of budget; 170 people laid off including 30 AFSCME members
  • 252025 measles outbreak estimated cost: $90 million total ($60,000 per case) in best scenario; up to $199 million in worst case
  • 26Federal funding accounts for ~50% of state/local health department budgets - cuts directly impact communities
  • 27All 17 medical experts on CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices fired June 9, 2025, replaced with vaccine-skeptic appointees
Sources37
Verified across 37 sources
—News Reports
Measles Outbreak 2026: Rising Cases Threaten U.S. Elimination Status→Whooping cough cases soar as vaccine rates drop among kids→Internal Trump administration document reveals massive budget cut proposal for federal health agencies→As RFK Jr. defends cuts to public health, experts warn of devastating effects that could haunt Americans for decades→Trump administration to shrink federal health agencies by 20,000 employees→American Academy of Pediatrics sues RFK Jr. over funding cuts→Trump WHO Withdrawal, Research and Aid Cuts Threaten Pandemic Preparedness→CDC layoffs gut essential health programs, from lead poisoning to HIV prevention→How will the deep cuts at the Centers for Disease Control affect global programs?→HHS reinstates more than 450 CDC employees fired in April reorganization, including childhood lead poisoning team→Public health experts dismayed by RFK Jr.'s defunding of mRNA vaccine research→Major medical organizations become resistance force under RFK Jr.→States that once led in child vaccination fall as they expand exemptions→Trump administration pulls back billions in Covid-era funding for state, local health departments→Federal public health cuts could cost Texas $700 million→Cuts have eliminated more than a dozen US government health-tracking programs→
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