Big Smile, No Teeth: But the library never burned

Vaccines are a modern miracle that keep societies safe. There is a reason why life expectancies have increased in the modern world, and that’s science, and a large part of that is vaccines. — Filepic/Bloomberg

The United States recorded 2,318 measles cases in the first seven months of 2026, higher than the total for all of 2025, which was itself the highest in more than three decades. There are four months still to go in 2026. It is the worst year for measles in America since 1991.

And the thing that makes that fact insane? Measles was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000. This is an official designation requiring 12 consecutive months with no domestic transmission. Measles was solved. An entire generation grew up never experiencing it. This “measles eliminated” status in the US is expected to be revoked in November.