Measles Outbreak Kills Newborn in Wisconsin, Second U.S. Child to Die

The state has recorded 431 cases across 13 counties in 2026, the highest total in 35 years. Italian infectious disease specialist Matteo Bassetti blames growing hostility toward science and vaccination for putting vulnerable children at risk

A newborn has died in Wisconsin as a measles outbreak spreads across the southwestern part of the state, marking the first measles-related death there since 1990. The death is the second involving a child in the United States in just days, following a fatal case in New York.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services said it had recorded 431 measles cases across 13 counties as of Nov. 3. That is the highest number reported in the state in 35 years.

Nine people have required hospitalization because of the severity of their symptoms, the department said. It also cautioned that the official count may underestimate the outbreak’s true scale: not everyone who contracts measles seeks medical care or undergoes testing, meaning some infections may go undetected.

The latest death follows that of a child in Lewis County, in northern New York, where measles has spread over the past month. That was the first measles death recorded in the state in 30 years.

The two deaths in rapid succession have prompted a forceful response from Italian infectious disease specialist Matteo Bassetti, who blamed the broader climate of distrust toward science and vaccination in the United States.

“The tragic news of a newborn’s death in Wisconsin from measles complications — the second child to lose their life in the United States in just a few days, after a case in New York state — cannot leave us indifferent. It should make us reflect, but above all, it should outrage us,” Bassetti wrote on X.

He argued that misinformation, prejudice and declining confidence in the scientific community were threatening to undo decades of progress in public health.

“Science is not a matter of opinion. Vaccines are not the enemy. Medicine is not something to fight against,” he said.

Bassetti warns that children are paying the price

Measles is highly contagious but can be prevented through vaccination. Bassetti stressed that the consequences of inadequate protection can be devastating when those most at risk are exposed to the virus.

“It is unacceptable that newborns, children and vulnerable people should pay the price for ideological battles and the spread of anti-scientific messages,” he said. “They need adults to act responsibly and the protection of the community.”

The specialist called for a decisive change in direction, urging people to stop spreading unfounded suspicions, discrediting medicine and challenging scientific evidence in favor of beliefs unsupported by facts.

“Freedom of opinion cannot turn into indifference toward other people’s health. And above all, it cannot come before children’s right to be protected,” Bassetti wrote.

“The lives of the youngest, the weakest and the most defenseless come before any ideology. Defending science, supporting vaccination and protecting children is not an ideological battle. It is a civil and human responsibility.”

(Photo: © AndKronos)