RFK Jr.’s Measles Nightmare Spirals to Shocking Milestone
It’s a grim new era for American health.

Roy Rochlin/Getty Images
Robert F. Kennedy’s measles disaster has reached a bleak new milestone. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show over 5,000 cases across 45 states and Washington, D.C. A total of 5,182 cases have been confirmed, with eight deaths reported: One in New York, one in Wisconsin, and six in Pennsylvania. State health officials confirmed three of them this week, with the death in New York the first in three decades. The CDC has confirmed four of the deaths at the time of writing, but said that the number was “subject to change.” According to ABC News, around 96 percent of cases are among people who were unvaccinated or whose vaccination status was unknown. The CDC noted that only 2 percent of cases were among people who had had the recommended double dose of the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine. It comes as Health Secretary RFK Jr. spearheads government efforts to change the official stance on immunization.
Register below to read this article for free or subscribe
to unlock unlimited access to The Daily Beast.
Monthly
$1
First month then $5.99/month
Annual
$35
First year then $59.99/year
Premium
$79
First year then $119.99/year
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Already have an account? Sign In
Looks like you already have a subscription!
- Account (completed)
- Payment (completed)
- Confirmation (completed)
You're all set!
Thanks for subscribing.
- 1Account
- 2Payment
- 3Confirmation