What Gives Me Hope About the Future of Public Health in the U.S.

A health worker prepares a dose of the measles vaccine at a health center in Lubbock, Texas, on Feb. 27, 2025. —Ronaldo Schemidt—AFP/Getty Images Periods of disruption have often forced societies to rethink old assumptions, create new institutions, and find novel ways to solve problems. I have been thinking about that idea over the past year after seeing a record number of measles cases in the U.S. ; disease outbreaks not seen in our country in decades, such as New World screwworm returning to our states; dismantling of federal health agency programs such as smoking cessation and global health ; the chipping away at the childhood vaccine schedule and declining vaccination rates for children; and all of this coupled with less trust in federal agencies and political leaders.