This is the Wilmington Standard Daily Update for Monday February 9, 2026.

South Carolina is dealing with a measles outbreak.  Measles was declared “eliminated” from the US in 2000.  The present infux of measles has been introduced by foreigners – or those traveling abroad.  Which brings up the whole question – should we be vaccinating our population against this and other diseases.

Vaccines undeniably played a central role in getting rid of measles, smallpox and other dangerous diseases from our native population.  Indeed, America stands out as a testing ground in that aspect.  According to the Pan American Health Organization, the outbreak of measles is directly linked to immunization status- with  71% of cases occurring in unvaccinated individuals in 2025 outside of our country.  According to the state of North Carolina, there have been 17 new cases of the measles reported in our state since December 2025 – and all of them were in the unvaccinated or individuals who only received part 1 of the vaccine.

Vaccine efficacy and requirement has been challenged by the insanity of the COVID-19 pandemic.  At the end of his first term, President Trump loudly crowed about the amazing result of Operation Warp Speed in developing a vaccine.  At first panned by the Democrats, this vaccine quickly turned into a worldwide requirement for travel, for work, and for social re-entry.  Its short term protection against the virus is hotly debated – as is the long term consequences of a vaccine that was never really widely tested – accept on a worldwide population that just wanted to get out of the house.

The outcome is a massive distrust of the medical field in general – and vaccines in particular.  Anti-vaxxers for years have been linking vaccination with outcomes like autism – with the medical science folks outright dismissing their claims without fully addressing them.  Neither side has all the facts – just an unending supply of rhetoric.  Thankfully, Robert F. Kennedy – President Trump’s Director of Health and Human Services and a marginal anti-vaxxer himself – has called for exactly what we need – a new look at vaccines.  Medical science and history show vaccines have proven to be effective in preventing and eliminating disease.  The science is also equally real in the possible side-effects of getting innoculated. 

This is no simple answer to vaccine requirements – and no clear boundary between the rights of the individual and the needs of a society – especially in a highly virulent disease such measles or small-pox. 

But at least  with the facts – we can start. 

For the Wilmington Standard, I’m Reuel Sample.  Thanks for listening.