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Published on: 02/13/2026 - 2:56 p.m.
Since the return of Donald Trump and the appointment of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to the Department of Health, the United States has been the scene of an increasingly direct clash between science and politics. One area in particular is bearing the brunt of this ideological battle: medicine. Report from Texas by Pierrick Leurent and Valérie Defert.
Between January and August 2025, Texas experienced a massive return of measles, a disease declared eradicated more than twenty years ago. Nationally, more than 1,200 cases have been recorded in 2025, a figure not reached since 1992.
In reality, this crisis is only the reflection of a long-term trend, where science and medicine are increasingly contested, particularly on social networks. Once a pioneer of public medicine, Texas is today becoming the testing ground for an ideology where health becomes a matter of opinion.
In this conservative state, the vaccination rate is at its lowest in 15 years and, in some counties, too low to ensure herd immunity. The remote community of Seminole in West Texas was hit hard: the first case of measles was confirmed on January 23, and the virus quickly spread, mostly affecting children.
In eight months, 762 people were infected, mainly among the Mennonite community, a German-speaking religious minority historically distrustful of the government and conventional medicine.
Also read: The Mennonites, these religious fundamentalists at the heart of the measles epidemic in Texas
Doctor Parkey, a doctor in the city's only hospital, testifies to this distrust, exacerbated by rumors of forced vaccination at the hospital. It reached its peak after the death of a 6-year-old, unvaccinated little girl.
Conversely, Dr. Ben Edwards is one of the few who gained the trust of Mennonites during the epidemic. In his weekly podcasts, this trained general practitioner gives voice to the main players in the anti-vaccine movement. On his site, he offers a method for treating yourself, for almost 300 dollars. An approach that he puts into practice in his brand new clinic, and which combines holistic medicine and religious beliefs.
In the city of Amarillo, in North Texas, there is an office that looks exactly like that of a pediatrician. Pia Hasenberg, a nurse, welcomes families skeptical about the effectiveness of vaccines every day, presenting them with studies without scientific basis that link vaccines and autistic disorders.
Dr. Philip Huang, director of local health services, is trying to counter this misinformation with pop-up clinics that offer free flu and Covid-19 vaccines. Participants also receive a $25 gift card per vaccine.
But the obstacles are piling up: in Texas, requests for school vaccination exemptions have increased by 36% in two years, and are increasingly easy to obtain. At the same time, Washington removed federal aid deployed during the pandemic. In 2026, the Trump administration plans to cut the Department of Health budget by another $30 billion.
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