U.S. scientists sequence 1,000 genomes from measles as outbreaks hit Utah and other states

While applauding the science, researchers say the Trump administration has done little to contain the virus. “That we’re even talking about this is nuts,” one virologist said.

(Amy Maxmen | KFF Health News) Katelyn Messer is among the researchers at the Broad Institute in Cambridge, Massachusetts, who have sequenced 1,000 whole genomes of measles viruses that spread in the U.S. between Jan. 20, 2025, and Jan. 20, 2026. The data will help reveal whether the country has lost its measles elimination status.

| April 4, 2026, 12:00 p.m.

U.S. scientists sequence 1,000 genomes from measles as outbreaks hit Utah and other states

While applauding the science, researchers say the Trump administration has done little to contain the virus. “That we’re even talking about this is nuts,” one virologist said.

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