Uncanny Valley | WIRED
The Dangerous Decline in Vaccination Rates
May 1, 2025
In the U.S., measles is making a comeback, with a concerning outbreak in Texas leading to hundreds of cases. The podcast discusses the importance of vaccination as public trust dwindles, fueled by misinformation and a shifting health policy landscape. The role of influential figures like the new health secretary in shaping attitudes toward vaccines is explored. Additionally, private discussions among tech elites reveal how secretive dialogues may impact public health debates, reflecting a troubling trend in communal immunity.
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Quick takeaways
- The significant decline in vaccination rates, fueled by influential figures like Robert F. Kennedy Jr., threatens public health and herd immunity.
- Dismantling public health agencies and reducing funding compromise vaccine accessibility, especially for underserved communities, risking future outbreaks.
Deep dives
The Digital Health Crisis
The rise in measles cases in the United States signals a troubling trend in public health, as vaccination rates have fallen significantly. An outbreak in Texas has resulted in over 600 cases and two deaths in children, marking the largest measles outbreak in the state since 1992. Nationally, the U.S. has faced a spike in measles cases, with 800 reported so far this year, compared to just 285 cases last year. New research indicates that if vaccination rates do not improve, measles could re-establish itself and lead to hundreds of thousands of cases and thousands of deaths in the coming decades.
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