Measles is the most infectious of all common viruses. The R₀ (basic reproduction number) tells you how many people one infected person will infect in a fully susceptible population. Higher numbers mean higher contagiousness.
We don’t have measles outbreaks, or at least we didn’t used to, because almost all people were vaccinated. The only outbreaks were among certain small communities who had an objection to vaccination, triggered by international visitors from those populations returning from places where measles is still endemic.
Lead by Trump-appointed vaccine denier RFK, Jr., vaccine misinformation has led to lower vaccine rates and outbreaks. As of August 6, 2026, 2,465 confirmed measles cases were reported in the United States. In 2020, there were a total of 13 cases for the entire year.
Pneumonia happens in 1 out of 20 measles infections; this can lead to death. 1 in 1000 cases leads to encephalitis that c lead to brain damage, hearing loss, and cognitive impairment. Also measles can sipe out 20-70% of your existing immune memory. 1 in 10 have ear infections that can lead to permanent hearing damage.
- R₀ ≈ 15 — the most contagious disease humans deal with
- Infectious 4 days before the rash appears
- Virus stays in the air for 2 hours after an infected person leaves
- Causes systemic immune damage, not just a rash
The Trump administration, through appointment of a nut-case vaccine denier, is killing children.
