Wisconsin's public health at risk amid measles, vaccine hesitancy and fed policy shifts
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services issued public alerts, conducted contact tracing, and urged families to verify MMR vaccination status.
In the summer of 2025, six-year-old children in Wisconsin began falling ill with measles, a disease once thought eliminated in the United States. One kindergartener in Dane County quickly spread the virus through the classroom. Across Oconto, St. Croix, Rock, and Dane counties, at least 14 mostly unvaccinated children have now contracted the highly contagious virus.
Public health experts warn that declining vaccine confidence – fueled by misinformation and federal policy changes – has created a dangerous environment where preventable diseases thrive, and children bear the brunt.
Measles: A threat returns
Wisconsin’s kindergarten vaccination rates remain among the lowest in the nation, leaving roughly 280,000 children vulnerable. Measles can linger in the air for hours, spreads before symptoms appear, and can cause pneumonia, encephalitis, hearing loss, hospitalization in one in five cases, and death in one to three per 1,000 infected children.
By late August, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services issued public alerts, conducted contact tracing, and urged families to verify MMR vaccination status. Health officials emphasize that two doses of the MMR vaccine are about 97% effective – but growing distrust in vaccines now threatens communities statewide.
Nationally, the CDC reports that United States' measles cases just went over 2,000 for the first time in more than three decades.
In 2025, three deaths occurred in the US – the first in a decade – all among unvaccinated individuals, highlighting the serious risk measles poses even in modern outbreaks.
Federal policy and anti-vaccine influence
Anti-vaccine campaigns are fueling outbreaks. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., founder of Children’s Health Defense and U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, has publicly questioned the safety and necessity of vaccines, including MMR and COVID-19 shots. In his role, he shapes national vaccination policy, raising alarms among public health experts.
Since taking office, Kennedy replaced all 17 members of the CDC’s vaccine advisory committee with individuals expressing vaccine skepticism and rescinded guidance recommending COVID-19 vaccination for children. These changes prompted resignations from top CDC officials, including Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, who warned of “the intentional eroding of trust in low-risk vaccines.”
Federal advisory bodies have also proposed revisiting longstanding guidance, such as universal hepatitis B vaccination within 24 hours of birth. Wisconsin health authorities reaffirmed the policy, citing decades of data showing a 99% reduction in infant hepatitis B infections.
“Most current cases are in unvaccinated individuals, and years of anti-vaccine campaigns have contributed directly to this risk,” said vaccine law expert Dorit Reiss of the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). Widespread misinformation – amplified through social media and politicized messaging – has eroded trust in vaccines, leaving communities vulnerable.
State leaders act
Wisconsin officials are actively safeguarding public health. Governor Tony Evers signed an executive order directing state agencies to ensure vaccine access, provide accurate information, and maintain coverage without cost-sharing.
“Federal policies are putting the health and lives of children and families across our state at risk,” Evers said. State health authorities continue to recommend that all newborns receive the hepatitis B vaccine within 24 hours of birth and complete the three-dose series, emphasizing decades of evidence showing safety and efficacy.
National context: Measles on the brink
By December 2025, the United States is closer than ever in a quarter-century to losing its measles elimination status – a designation held since 2000. Elimination does not mean measles is gone; it means the virus cannot sustain continuous transmission. That firewall is now cracking.
The U.S. has surpassed 2,000 confirmed measles cases this year, the highest annual total since 1992, with outbreaks in 44 states and New York City. Children are disproportionately affected: 26% of cases are in children under 5, 42% in those 5 to 19 years old, and hospitalization remains significant, particularly for younger children. Nationwide, 93% of cases are among people unvaccinated or with unknown vaccination status. Kindergarten MMR coverage has dropped from 95.2% in 2019-2020 to 92.7% in 2023-2024.
Recent outbreaks have prompted public health alerts at major airports, including Newark, Boston, and Denver, highlighting how travel can spread the virus beyond local clusters.
Infants too young to be vaccinated, children with immune disorders, transplant recipients, and pregnant women are especially at risk. Modern life is too interconnected for private immunity strategies; outbreaks quickly escape insulated communities. Declining vaccination coverage reflects not just individual choice but a broader erosion of trust in public health institutions – a consequence of politicized messaging, social media amplification, and post-pandemic fatigue.
The stakes are immediate
Declining vaccination coverage, federal policy changes, and widespread misinformation have contributed directly to measles outbreaks in Wisconsin and nationwide. Other preventable diseases – including whooping cough, influenza, and COVID-19 – face similar threats.
Florida pediatrician Dr. Rana Alissa sees vaccine skepticism daily, often fueled by misleading information. Dr. Jesse Hackell of the American Academy of Pediatrics emphasized, “Every vaccine prevents a serious, life-threatening disease. Practicing in a world without these vaccines is unacceptable.”
Without urgent efforts to rebuild public trust, counter misinformation, and maintain evidence-based guidance, preventable illnesses will continue to surge, eroding decades of public health progress.
Conclusion
Wisconsin’s outbreak is a stark reminder: disease elimination is fragile, and public health depends not only on science but on trust in that science. Federal actions, persistent anti-vaccine campaigns, and declining vaccination coverage have allowed measles – and other preventable illnesses – to resurface, putting children’s lives at risk.
State leaders, healthcare providers, and families face an urgent task: defend vaccination, counter misinformation, and preserve decades of public health progress. The question is no longer whether these diseases can be prevented – they can – but whether society will act before preventable illnesses regain a foothold.
Wisconsin's public health at risk amid measles, vaccine hesitancy and fed policy shifts © 2026 by Jean Kiernan Detjen is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
