Cassidy presses Kennedy on vaccines, World Cup measles outbreak fears

With U.S. measles cases climbing and the 2026 World Cup set to draw millions across North America, Sen. Bill Cassidy pressed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on whether the federal government has a real outbreak plan, not just vaccine rhetoric.

Cassidy, the Louisiana Republican and physician who chairs the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, questioned Kennedy about how public trust in vaccines has worsened and what the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is doing to blunt possible measles outbreaks during the tournament. The concern is not abstract: the World Cup will be played across 16 host cities in the United States, Canada and Mexico, creating a large cross-border mass gathering with heightened risk for infectious disease spread.

The timing sharpened the stakes. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data updated April 17 show confirmed measles cases and outbreaks still rising in 2026, with reporting in the thousands and at least 19 outbreaks so far this year. Public-health officials have warned that if the trend continues, the United States could lose its measles elimination status, a milestone long seen as a marker of vaccination success and outbreak control. The CDC says the MMR vaccine remains the most important tool for preventing measles, and it has published preparedness guidance for state and local health departments.

Cassidy’s challenge also landed in a politically fraught setting. He helped secure Kennedy’s confirmation last year, but the two have publicly clashed over vaccines. Cassidy is now facing a difficult 2026 reelection campaign in Louisiana after Donald Trump endorsed Rep. Julia Letlow in the Republican primary, raising the pressure on a senator who has tried to balance party loyalty with a more traditional public-health line.

The Louisiana Republican has already used that line at home. During the state’s severe whooping cough outbreak, Cassidy warned Kennedy to support vaccination, saying, “In my state of Louisiana, we are experiencing the worst pertussis outbreak in 35 years. The outbreak has already killed two babies.” He also cited the Texas measles outbreak earlier this year when urging Kennedy to back vaccines.

Cassidy’s latest questioning suggests the White House and HHS will keep facing a basic test: whether they can turn vaccine skepticism into a workable outbreak response before a global sports event turns measles from a public-health warning into a national headline.