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U.S. Senate Democratic Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has called for a public health emergency in the United States amid the highest measles case count in 33 years.
In a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy, posted on the Senate Democrats' website last night, the politician said: "What began as a local outbreak in Texas has now become a national public health crisis: Nearly 1,300 Americans in 38 states have been infected, dozens have been hospitalized, and the disease has proven deadly. To prevent this record number from worsening and save lives, you must declare an immediate public health emergency due to measles."
Schumer believes Kennedy bears responsibility for this situation. In his letter, Schumer accused the secretary of "plunging" the country into the largest measles outbreak by laying off scientists, including infectious disease specialists, and freezing and cutting grants.
Kennedy had previously announced a plan to cut nearly 20,000 full-time employees as part of reforms overseen by the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
In early July, Federal Judge Melissa Dubose in Rhode Island blocked the administration's plans for widespread layoffs and a restructuring of the Department of Health and Human Services.
On July 7, the Washington Post reported, citing data from the Center for Outbreak Response Innovation at Johns Hopkins University, that the number of measles cases had exceeded 1,277. The highest outbreak was recorded in West Texas, where more than 750 cases have been detected since January.
Since the beginning of 2025, three people have died from measles-related complications, including two healthy children in Texas and a man in New Mexico, all of whom were unvaccinated.
Measles is a viral disease that is transmitted through the air and can remain in the air for up to two hours.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nine out of ten unvaccinated people become infected through contact with an infected person. Although most patients recover, the disease can lead to serious complications such as pneumonia, brain swelling, blindness, and death.
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