As of Feb. 26, there have been 1,136 confirmed measles cases in the United States this year, in 28 states — including Pennsylvania — according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Despite measles having been nearly eliminated in 2000, rates have reached their highest levels in decades.
In just two months, there have been nearly half as many confirmed measles cases as there were in all of 2025 (2,281). Five percent of the 2026 cases have resulted in hospitalization. So far this year there have been no deaths; there were three in 2025.
Vaccination rates for measles in the U.S. are declining even as the number of cases is climbing. More parents are opting against vaccination for their children. Pennsylvania is among states that have slipped below the 95% vaccination rate the CDC says is necessary to keep measles outbreaks at bay.
I invited Gretchen Welby, Pharm.D., MHA, to discuss the current wisdom on the suddenly controversial topic of vaccination and immunization, to raise awareness and dispel any myths and misunderstandings.
Gretchen graduated from Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science and the University of Scranton, and received a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Temple University. She has been teaching for over 25 years at Rutgers University, Keystone College, Lackawanna College, the University of Scranton and Marywood University. She has a wellness and lifestyle coaching certification from Harvard University.
Gretchen — who has earned certifications in Pilates, yoga and barre, and teaches all three locally — lives in Scranton with her husband, Timothy Welby, M.D., and has three daughters, Casey, Kate and Caroline.
Here’s what she had to say about the measles vaccination issue:
Scientific progress has rarely advanced by popular vote, and vaccination is no exception. While public sentiment deserves respect and thoughtful engagement, the evidence guiding immunization policy is built on decades of rigorous research, transparent testing and continuous review. These research processes are designed precisely to rise above fear, trend, politics or misinformation. Choosing to prioritize scientific findings over shifting opinion is not an act of dismissal, but of responsibility. It is a commitment to decisions that protect both individual lives and the collective good, even when those decisions challenge what feels comfortable or widely believed.
2024 marked the 50th anniversary of the World Health Organization’s Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), an initiative to make lifesaving vaccines available to all worldwide. A modeling study done to mark the anniversary estimated that vaccination averted 154 million deaths, including 146 million deaths among children. Several additional studies on vaccine effectiveness show that vaccines improve infant safety, contribute to a healthy society and even reduce cancer risk. Vaccines work for an individual and for society. The data show that many vaccines can reduce mortality by 99% or more. Unfortunately, global immunization has been a victim of its own success because people have forgotten how deadly and dangerous the diseases that vaccines protect against can be.
Vaccine effectiveness is overshadowed today by misinformation about vaccine safety, changing vaccine administration timelines and mixed public health messaging. What are the outcomes of the recent relaxed vaccine message? The number of measles cases has jumped. Compared to the thousands of cases reported in 2025, only 59 cases were reported in 2023. For additional perspective, an article published in the 2007 edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association listed the number of deaths before vaccine release and the number of deaths in 2004. The findings are remarkable:
Diphtheria: 3,065 deaths in the peak year of 1936; zero deaths in 2004.
Measles: 554 deaths in the peak year of 1958; zero deaths in 2004.
Mumps: 50 deaths in the peak year of 1964; zero deaths in 2004.
Pertussis: 7,518 deaths in the peak year of 1934; 27 deaths in 2004.
Rubella: 24 deaths in the peak year of 1968; zero deaths in 2004.
Smallpox: 2,510 deaths in the peak year of 1902; zero deaths in 2004.
Tetanus: 601 deaths in the peak year of 1947; four deaths in 2004.
The recent CDC change to the childhood vaccine schedule reduces routine protection against 13 childhood diseases to seven, with shared decision-making now required for the remaining six.
Now part of the routine vaccine schedule are: diphtheria, tetanus, acellular pertussis (DTaP; Tdap); Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib); pneumococcal (PCV); inactivated poliovirus (IPV); measles, mumps, rubella (MMR); varicella (VAR); and human papillomavirus (HPV; changing from two doses to one dose). Rotavirus, COVID-19, influenza, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, meningococcal ACWY and meningococcal B are now grouped in a shared-decision-making model.
Traditionally, when changes are made to the vaccine schedule, they are made with much deliberation, study and expert input from multiple agencies and governing bodies. This recent change, however, did not follow the normal study path. This is concerning because changes are proposed without proper study of the immediate and long-term consequences.
Vaccines have been shown to be safe, with most patients experiencing very minor side effects. Normal reactions from vaccinations include low-grade fever for 24-48 hours. A low-grade fever and minor muscle aches signal the body’s immune response. Tenderness and redness at the injection site are other normal reactions from immunization and should last from 24-48 hours.
There is no proof that thimerosal — a preservative historically used in vaccines — causes adverse reactions. And thimerosal has been removed from most vaccine preparations used today.
Vaccines do not overwhelm a child’s immune system. Children are exposed to hundreds of antigens daily. A whole pediatric vaccination schedule exposes them to around 50 antigens. There is no evidence to support altering or delaying the American Academy of Pediatrics vaccination schedule; doing so does not increase safety, it decreases protection at a time when infants and children are most vulnerable.
How can consumers of health care information — in particular, vaccine information — find reliable, trustworthy, educated guidance? Since the June changes in CDC personnel have resulted in less-qualified members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, it is generally best to rely for advice on nongovernmental sources, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Gynecologists, Infectious Disease Society of America and Vaccine Integrity Project. Additionally, discuss vaccine efficacy and safety with your doctor.
Paul J. Mackarey, P.T., D.H.Sc., is a doctor in health sciences specializing in orthopedic and sports physical therapy. He is in private practice in Scranton and Clarks Summit and is an associate professor of clinical medicine at Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine. Email: mackareypt@gmail.com.