For decades, vaccination has been one of the main pillars of public health in the United States. This pillar has particularly relied on the expertise of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) established in 1964. Its mission has been to provide independent recommendations for vaccine use based on the best available scientific evidence. The committee has contributed to the gradual integration of available vaccines into a harmonized vaccination schedule, which is updated every year.
Thanks to regular nationwide campaigns, the country managed to eliminate or control once-feared diseases such as measles, whooping cough, polio and diphtheria, which had previously caused a high number of deaths or disabilities each year. For instance, there were nearly 13 deaths for every 100,000 inhabitants in 1919. The rate fell to zero with the implementation of widespread population vaccination.
While scientific evidence demonstrating the effectiveness and safety of vaccines has never been stronger, some diseases have resurfaced. Measles, which had been declared eliminated from the US in 2000, has returned at worrying levels, with more than 1,000 cases reported in 2025. Reduced vaccine coverage is the culprit.
In April, the Journal of the American Medical Association published a study projecting that a 10% drop in measles vaccine coverage could result in more than 11 million additional cases in the US over the next 25 years. Whooping cough, long under control, is experiencing a troubling resurgence. Other threats are looming, such as the potential re-emergence of polio, whose near eradication had been viewed as a major victory for modern medicine.
What is happening in the US is an intensified version of the situation in many countries, including France. The Covid-19 pandemic highlighted widespread distrust among many citizens toward health authorities, experts and, more broadly, vaccines. The rapid development of mRNA vaccines, the sometimes contradictory messages from experts and the politicization of certain public health measures have all fostered a lasting climate of suspicion.
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