Measles outbreaks could cost the U.S. over a $1 billion a year, if vaccine rates decline
In early 2025, as measles began to tear through West Texas, Katherine Wells knew she needed money. Though the outbreak was concentrated in Gaines County, a community an hour away, Wells, who heads Lubbock’s public health department, needed more staff to respond to numerous exposures at local pediatricians’ offices, urgent care centers, restaurants and day…