Measles

Many states have recently reported an increase in people opting out of vaccines for their kids as Americans’ views shift.

When Carter started his NGO after leaving the White House, he reached out to Dr. Bill Foege, known for his role in leading the eradication of smallpox, to run it.

Inoculation campaigns that protect children and adults from dangerous diseases rely on a delicate web of state and federal laws and programs. If senior officials cast doubt on vaccine safety, the whole system might collapse, especially in red states.

Dr. Alicia Fry of the Task Force for Global Health in Decatur says the key tool of prevention is the same everywhere — access to immunization.

Some counties have very low rates, and all that's needed in those unvaccinated pockets is a spark — an infected person traveling — to spread measles like wildfire.

Misinformation coupled with a parental rights movement that shifts decision-making away from public health expertise has contributed to the lowest childhood vaccine rates in a decade.

Measles is on the rise in the United States. It’s going to get worse, largely because a growing number of parents are deciding not to get their children vaccinated against measles, as well as diseases like polio and pertussis.