RFK Jr.’s Measles Nightmare Spirals to Shocking Milestone

GOING BACKWARDS It’s a grim new era for American health. Roy Rochlin/Getty Images Robert F. Kennedy’s measles disaster has reached a bleak new milestone.

Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show over 5,000 cases across 45 states and Washington, D.C. A total of 5,182 cases have been confirmed, with eight deaths reported: One in New York, one in Wisconsin, and six in Pennsylvania. State health officials confirmed three of them this week, with the death in New York the first in three decades.

The CDC has confirmed four of the deaths at the time of writing, but said that the number was “subject to change.” According to ABC News, around 96 percent of cases are among people who were unvaccinated or whose vaccination status was unknown. The CDC noted that only 2 percent of cases were among people who had had the recommended double dose of the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine.

It comes as Health Secretary RFK Jr. spearheads government efforts to change the official stance on immunization. Read it at ABC News Updated Nov 06, 2026 1:19PM EST Sign up for the Cheat Sheet Newsletter Get the best of Cheat Sheet delivered right to your inbox