07/24/2026
From the President
Letter from the AAP President: Measles cases reach a 35-year high
July 24, 2026
Dear Colleagues:
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I’m reaching out to you today from AAP headquarters where I’m joined by chapter, committee, council, alliance, and section leaders to discuss our priorities in advancing AAP’s mission. I wanted to take a moment to share an update on measles. The United States crossed a troubling threshold this week: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recorded 2318 measles cases in 2026, the highest in 35 years (read more in AAP News). This is a public health failure that was entirely avoidable, which I know is particularly frustrating for us as pediatricians.
I saw measles often early in my career both in New York City and in Tanzania, so I have witnessed firsthand the devastating and lasting impacts that this disease can have on a child and their family. In the face of the current outbreak it is so disheartening to see prominent political leaders continue to dismiss measles as a benign illness. Today, I issued a statement that reiterates the AAP’s MMR vaccine recommendations and encourages parents with questions to talk with their child’s pediatrician. We’re also highlighting this grim and preventable milestone on social media and sharing factual information for parents.
Our members are doing extraordinary work to mitigate this crisis: triaging patients in parking lots, caring for sick children, consoling families and answering parents’ questions. I know some of these conversations feel different now. The Academy is working to uplift your stories and promote the benefits of vaccination to push back on these harmful narratives that are making their way into the exam room. To engage in the public conversation on measles, the Academy has a measles toolkit available with messages, social media graphics and videos.
The return of a vaccine-preventable illness, on top of all the other challenges facing our profession, makes our work feel especially daunting right now. But that work is also especially meaningful now. Since this organization was founded, there are countless examples of pediatricians tackling hard issues and succeeding on behalf of their patients. Thank you for your unyielding dedication to keeping children healthy.
Onward,
Andrew D. Racine, MD, PhD, FAAP
President
