[This article first appeared at Common Dreams on February 19, 2026.]

by Steven J. Harper

Not until President Donald Trump is long gone will Americans feel the full impact of his most destructive policies and his administration’s incompetence. Today’s topic: Measles.

“For children, the risks of measles are especially grave. Complications, which occur in one in five people who have the disease, can include pneumonia, blindness, permanent neurologic injury, and death. These outcomes are well-documented, particularly among young children and those with delayed access to medical care.” (Theresa Cheng, MD, JD, assistant clinical professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at UCSF-Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and a lawyer.)

Measles is preventable, but community immunity requires a 92-94 percent vaccination rate. Since the introduction of the measles vaccine in 1963, the incidence of the disease has decreased by over 99 percent, thanks to the combination of immunity through prior exposure and vaccination rates above the required threshold.

Secretary of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is reversing that remarkable public health achievement.

Three recent stories about measles have implications that are far more consequential for the fate of humanity than Trump’s racist memes or his destabilizing antics on the world stage.

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