Bloomberg A sustained drop in childhood vaccinations could cost the US about $7.8 billion in measles outbreaks over five years, a new study found.
The warning comes as vaccine policy and public confidence face fresh pressure under the second Trump administration. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has moved to reshape a key federal vaccine advisory panel, raising concerns among public health experts, while the US is already seeing more than 1,700 measles cases this year.
Measles outbreaks in 2025 alone generated $244 million in costs, or about $104,600 per case, researchers from the University of Florida and Yale School of Public Health found. Most of the burden came from efforts to contain outbreaks, including contact tracing and emergency vaccination, along with lost productivity from missed work and school.