In The Politics of Autism, I analyze the myth that vaccines cause autism. This bogus idea can hurt people by allowing diseases to spread. Examples include measles, COVID, flu, and polio. A top antivaxxer is HHS Secretary RFK Jr. He is part of the "Disinformation Dozen." He helped cause a deadly 2019 measles outbreak in Samoa. Last year, he lied about it under oath.
Since Trump took office in 2025, the U.S. has recorded more confirmed measles cases than in the previous 20 years combined. With more than two months to go in 2026, the US has already DOUBLED its 2025 total. And we have lost our measles elimination status.
The U.S. reached 10 measles deaths this year after additional deaths reported in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, a concerning sign as the previously eradicated disease makes a resurgence worldwide and in the U.S.
Measles cases have already reached more than 5,400 this year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) dashboard — more than double the nearly 2,300 reported through the entirety of 2025.
Ninety-six percent of cases in 2026 are in unvaccinated individuals, compared to 93 percent last year.
Pennsylvania’s department of health confirmed that the newly added measles death, which brings the total to 7 deaths in the commonwealth, was in an unvaccinated person. Wisconsin said that a child had died but did not specify other details.
The Keystone State, with more than 1,500 cases, accounts for more than 1 in 4 cases reported in the entire country, according to the state’s dashboard.
Even worse, RFK's lies have reached audiences all over the world.
