National measles cases this year have now exceeded 4,400, all but guaranteeing the country will more than double the number of measles infections confirmed last year, which totaled 2,289. The latest update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Friday recorded 4,410 total cases in 2026 just a week after the U.S. surpassed 4,000 cases. When pressed for answers on the worsening situation on Thursday, before the new numbers were released, Health and Human Service (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. placed blame on Anthony Fauci.

"We've done better than — we're having a global measles outbreak right now," Kennedy said when he was asked by a reporter about the six probable measles deaths that have been confirmed so far this year. "It's all over the world. The measles outbreak is occurring because so many people went unvaccinated during the COVID pandemic. And this is something that Anthony Fauci, in fact, predicted," Kennedy said. Kennedy was referring to Fauci's private diary entries that were publicized by Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) earlier this year.

In an entry dated May 6, 2020, Fauci wrote, "Had conversation with Bob Redfield lastr night about the fact that >1 million children world-wide have missed their measles vaccinations because of the shutdown. This is terrible and needs to be addressed since on that basis alone, there would be far, far more excess deaths from measles among children than coronavirus deaths among children." U.S. measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccination rate among kindergarteners have been falling away from the ideal 95 percent coverage for several years now.

This vaccination rate is considered necessary to stop widespread outbreaks. During the 2025-2026 school year, the CDC reported an MMR coverage rate of 92.4 percent. While still high, that figure represents hundreds of thousands of kindergarteners attending school while vulnerable to measles.

"We have done better and particularly my administration has done better at controlling the outbreak than any other country in the world," Kennedy continued, arguing Canada and Mexico are experiencing worse outbreaks than the U.S. Kennedy was commenting at an event with Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-Va.). A staffer attempted to bar the question about measles, before the reporter said Kennedy is the "highest ranking health official in the country. He can answer that question. He’s a Cabinet secretary."

The U.S. and Mexico are scheduled to meet with the Pan American Health Association (PAHO) next month to go over their respective measles elimination statuses. Kennedy has softly endorsed the MMR vaccine, calling it the most effective" way of stopping measles spread last year and in August said parents should get their children vaccinated against the virus. At the same time, however, he has continued to cast doubt on the safety of childhood vaccines. During a September conference hosted by Children’s Health Defense, the anti-vaccine group he previously chaired, Kennedy claimed "vaccine-injured children" were "damaged" by conditions like asthma and autism and said sudden infant death syndrome and anorexia were common side effects.

The CDC vaccine advisory panel that Kennedy restaffed with ideological allies voted this year in favor of reducing the number of recommended childhood vaccines, though a federal judge disbanded the committee and blocked its votes. Earlier this month, HHS launched a new clinic dedicated to vaccine-related injuries.