Measles is changing minds

[struggle4progress]

The Bulwark
Mar 20, 2026

Sam Stein and Jonathan Cohn talk with Therese Vogel about the return of measles. Therese shares the story of her sister, who contracted measles as a child and suffered permanent brain damage — shaping the rest of her life — and why that led her to join Grandparents for Vaccines.

They discuss why vaccine skepticism has risen, how outbreaks are spreading again as vaccination rates fall, and why many Americans have forgotten how dangerous these diseases once were. They explore the nascent political backlash to anti-vaccine messaging — and how groups like Grandparents for Vaccines are using personal stories to reach people when facts alone aren’t enough.