Peter Singer: The Lethal Consequences of Misinformation

Measles Surge in US Linked to Declining Vaccination Rates, Experts Warn

Three preventable measles deaths, including two children, occurred in the United States last year amid a dramatic surge in cases. Health officials reported 2,267 confirmed measles cases in 2023—more than seven times the 285 cases documented in 2022 and the highest figure in over three decades.

Public health experts point to falling vaccination rates as the primary cause of this resurgence, with some attributing the decline to the growing influence of vaccine skepticism in official positions of power.

Since his confirmation as Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services in February 2023, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has made significant changes to the nation’s approach to vaccines. Kennedy, who has previously claimed vaccines have “poisoned an entire generation of American children,” has removed experienced scientists from key vaccine advisory committees and replaced them with individuals skeptical of vaccine safety.

One of Kennedy’s most consequential decisions has been withdrawing funding for developing mRNA vaccines—the technology behind the COVID-19 vaccines credited with saving millions of lives globally. In another controversial move, Kennedy suggested vitamin A as an alternative to measles vaccination, reportedly leading some Texas parents to administer such high doses that their children experienced toxicity symptoms.

The problem extends beyond American borders. In Slovakia, Prime Minister Robert Fico appointed Peter Kotlar, an orthopedic surgeon and anti-vaccine activist, to investigate that country’s pandemic response. Kotlar’s October 2024 report described COVID-19 as “an act of bioterrorism” and claimed, without scientific evidence, that mRNA vaccines alter human DNA.

Vaccination experts emphasize that when coverage drops below critical thresholds, “herd immunity”—the protection that high vaccination rates provide to vulnerable populations—disappears, allowing preventable diseases to resurface. Romania offers a cautionary example of this phenomenon.

Under Romania’s communist regime, childhood vaccination was mandatory, effectively eliminating measles. After joining the EU and making some vaccines voluntary, the country’s measles vaccination rate plummeted from 95 percent to 62 percent by 2023. The following year, Romania reported more than 30,000 measles cases and 23 deaths.

Dr. Sarah Johnson, epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told reporters: “What we’re witnessing isn’t just concerning—it’s a predictable public health disaster. The science on vaccine safety is robust and clear, backed by decades of research and billions of administered doses.”

Some officials defend reduced vaccination requirements as respecting individual liberty. However, public health experts counter that liberty for adults to make personal choices does not extend to decisions that harm others, particularly children who cannot make their own healthcare decisions.

While Kennedy presents himself as fighting pharmaceutical industry power, pointing to documented corporate scandals like Purdue Pharma’s promotion of OxyContin, critics argue that isolated cases of corporate misconduct don’t justify rejecting an entire category of medical interventions supported by extensive scientific evidence and global consensus.

Health policy experts warn that when government officials act on unfounded beliefs about vaccine risks, the consequences can be deadly. The recent measles deaths in Texas among unvaccinated children highlight the real-world impact of policy decisions based on vaccine skepticism.

The World Health Organization has expressed concern about these developments, noting that vaccine hesitancy threatens to reverse decades of progress in controlling preventable diseases. WHO officials have called for science-based approaches to public health and emphasized the importance of maintaining high vaccination rates.

Public health advocates are urging governments to appoint officials with relevant scientific expertise who respect evidence, arguing that public health agencies should operate according to scientific consensus rather than political ideology.