More than 2,000 confirmed measles cases were reported in the United States in 2025, the highest volume of cases since the disease was declared eliminated in 2000. As of April, approximately 1,700 confirmed cases have been recorded this year.
Pew Research Center survey data still suggests that a strong majority of Democrats and Republicans believe the benefits of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine outweigh the potential risks. However, it’s clear that the growth of vaccine skepticism fueled by misinformation has affected public perception of vaccines. In 2016, 91 percent of Republicans said the benefits of the MMR vaccine surpassed the potential risks; that number has decreased to 78 percent in 2026. Furthermore, Republican support for MMR vaccine school requirements has also slipped, from 79 percent in 2019 to 52 percent today.
To address these trends and much more, Demetre Daskalakis, MD, MPH, chief medical officer at Callen-Lorde, will kick off the ATS 2026 International Conference Keynote Series with stories from the field to highlight the past, present, and future of vaccine adoption and innovation from 8–8:45 a.m. ET on Sunday, May 17, room W320 (Level III, OCCC West Concourse).
Dr. Daskalakis resigned from his position as director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in August 2025, citing an environment that treated the CDC “as a tool to generate policies and materials that do not reflect scientific reality and are designed to hurt rather than to improve the public’s health.” Despite recognizing the danger of the politicization of vaccines, Dr. Daskalakis maintains an optimistic outlook for the future.
“I’ve been a member of my infectious diseases society for decades and have never cared so much about it as I do now,” he explained. “I think the community of providers is becoming more galvanized in terms of making sure we are communicating the right things to our people. I’m really excited that we have seemingly entered an era of activist health care — not activist in the political way, but activist for our patients, which I think is just awesome.”
Through the framework of two historic case studies, Dr. Daskalakis will explore how the development of vaccines has impacted public health in America. Addressing the recent resurgence of measles, he will trace the development of the vaccine in the 1960s, from its inception in the lab to clinical trials to regulatory review and ultimate clinical adoption. Dr. Daskalakis will also discuss the country’s current elimination status and challenges for prevention.
“I think of measles as the canary in the coal mine. It’s such an ultra-infectious disease that, in effect, is like a tracer that demonstrates where the cracks in the system are,” said Dr. Daskalakis. “If nine out of 10 people who are unvaccinated get the condition or infection, that in effect tells you where the lowest rates of vaccine coverage are.”
The respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine is a more recent innovation that illustrates even greater advancement in infectious disease prevention since the measles vaccine.
“I’ve done a lot of work in public health, and the RSV vaccine is one of the most undersung interventions that has made such a difference in the U.S.,” Dr. Daskalakis said. “RSV is a more recent technology — it’s a vaccine for pregnant people as well as a monoclonal antibody, or an immunization for newborns, and coverage issues aside, it essentially shut down severe outcomes of RSV in the country.”
Dr. Daskalakis will conclude by analyzing current threats to the vaccine infrastructure and highlighting emerging strategies and technologies to ensure that science predominantly guides innovation and adoption.
The rise in misinformation and politicization of federal health agencies underscores the importance of intimate patient-provider interactions, local health departments, community health organizations, and professional societies like the ATS, according to Dr. Daskalakis. Health care organizations, including the ATS, have begun participating in initiatives to combat misinformation and communicate with patients effectively, including those who might be skeptical of vaccine efficacy.
“For frontline medical providers and public health practitioners, the thing that we’ve always done, which is interpreting signals for noise for our patients, now becomes more critical than ever, since there’s so much noise,” Dr. Daskalakis said. “This makes our jobs harder, but frankly, this is what doctors and public health practitioners live for — the opportunity to communicate science and information simply to the people that we serve.”
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