Amy Maxmen, August 25, 2025.
As measles surged in Texas early this year, the Trump administration’s actions sowed fear and confusion among CDC scientists that kept them from performing the agency’s most critical function — emergency response — when it mattered most, an investigation from KFF Health News shows.
The report details multiple crises, both in Texas, where health facilities became overwhelmed and misinformation surged, all while federal health agencies faced communications crackdowns, stalled reports, and staff and budget cuts.
Texas officials only heard from the CDC after a child died on February 26, meanwhile the outbreaks spread to five US states and Mexico, sickening over 4,500 and killing at least 16 (13 in mexico, 2 in Texas, one in New Mexico).