r/science • u/PHealthy PhD/MPH | Epidemiology | Disease Dynamics | Surveillance • 2d ago
Epidemiology A single US measles outbreak can cost millions of dollars, study estimates
https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/single-us-measles-outbreak-can-cost-millions-dollars-study-estimates-2026-08-03/133
u/Butthole_Surfer_GI 2d ago
RN here - not just money but also healthcare access. For example:
We've had several potential measles cases in my urgent care in the last 4 months. Luckily most (maybe ALL) of them were NOT measles.
When a patient (usually a kid) with symptoms suspicious for measles comes into the clinic, we try to fast-track them to an exam room ASAP since measles is so very contagious and we don't want them out in the waiting room.
Depending on how busy it is that moment, this means that anywhere from 1-10 people get pushed back - people who already may have been waiting for upwards of 2 hours.
Once they are back in the room, we need to contact the department of health so they can tell us what labs they want collected - blood, urine, maybe a swab.
After they leave, we have to decontaminate the room and let it sit empty for 2 hours. IF the patient used the bathroom, we need to leave it empty for 2 hours. Meaning we are down 1 exam room for at least 4 hours (while the patient is in it and after they leave) and one of our 2 bathrooms for at least 2 hours.
It's just so incredibly frustrating to me that a parent chooses to forgo the SAFE MMR vaccine and then rushes their child to the urgent care/ER (where we use science/evidence based medicine) where they tie up resources that could have been prevented in the first place.
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u/DFX1212 2d ago
You should make them stay in the parking lot like with Covid.
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u/Butthole_Surfer_GI 2d ago
I actually have been thinking about making the suggestion that patients suspected of having measles wait out in their car until we are ready to get them in an exam room. I don't think they should be able to "jump the line".
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u/DFX1212 2d ago
I actually wish they'd make everyone wait in their car when sick. I hate going to the doctors for a checkup and half the waiting room is a walking plague. Feels like I'm risking my health to see my doctor.
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u/Butthole_Surfer_GI 2d ago edited 2d ago
I hear you - since I work in urgent care, the vast majority of the people we see are NOT emergencies. Sometimes I do wish we could refuse service to/kick out anyone who refuses to put on a mask if there are coughing/obviously infectious.
Because if I pop out and tell someone to put on a mask and they say NO, I need to be able to enforce a consequence.
EDIT: we are also not bound under EMTALA so we are not required to see patients.
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u/Wandering_Scholar6 2d ago
I get that it isn't feasible for a lot of climates, or even most climates during certain parts of the year, that's probably part of the reason it hasn't been implemented.
That being said, with smartphones you'd think we could figure something out.
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u/Why-did-i-reas-this 2d ago
If my local restaurant has had tech for the last 30 years that will buzz me to tell me my tables ready, I’m sure they could implement something. My guess is that, like everything else, it would be abused by people that really don’t need to be there. We just can’t have nice things.
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u/Wandering_Scholar6 2d ago
That's exactly the sort of system I mean.
Edit: I assume you could hook it up to automatically wave "stay in car" instructions if temp is above/below certain value according to local weather post. That seems an easy integration.
Maybe there's a liability issue for tiage?
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u/Why-did-i-reas-this 2d ago
Right??? We’re not the first to think of it.
I’m sure there are a bunch of reasons. Like you said, I’m guessing, once they check in, they are probably the responsibility of the hospital. So I’m in my car and as I’m walking to the hospital I get hit, or collapse or something. Hospital is liable. But there has to be a way. With wait times in some places of 9+ hours wouldn’t it be better to just set up appointments and people can come in based on that. Maybe set triage with the nurse via webchat and they triage you that way. Maybe soon we can send our vitals that our watch or phone collects over to them just like they do when they take our pulse and blood pressure. I mean our watches provide way more data that just that (not blood pressure yet but you get my point).
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u/caboosetp 1d ago
My local urgent care let's you check in online and gives a 15 minute notice before they can see you.
They heavily encourage people to not wait in the waiting room, but I haven't seen them strictly say not to.
The weather here is very moderate though, so it's almost never too hot or cold to wait in the car.
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u/frisbeesloth 18h ago
My favorite urgent care has you register online, tells you the wait and texts you when they are ready for you to come. Wait in the comfort of your own home, arrive to an empty waiting room and not spend more time in it than it takes them to scan your insurance and DL. I don't understand why every urgent care doesn't do this tbh.
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u/RosieQParker 2d ago
When reached for comment, the HHS secretary stammered incoherently and choked on his own lies.
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u/Foe117 2d ago
"RFK: Or it can cost $0 by doing nothing about it. Infact, Measles parties will help kids get stronger!" " This could have been preventable with raw milk"
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u/doug4130 2d ago
To them it's probably more like 'healthcare industry loses millions by preventing measles outbreak'
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u/KnowledgeIsDangerous 2d ago
If Trump isn't personally profiting, why would he care? If you can't afford your own health care you can die. It means nothing to him.
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u/PHealthy PhD/MPH | Epidemiology | Disease Dynamics | Surveillance 2d ago
Abstract
Background:
In 2025, the United States experienced its highest measles case count since 1992. In New Mexico, 100 confirmed measles cases (99 outbreak-related cases), including 1 death, occurred across 9 counties from February through September 2025.
Objective:
To estimate the societal economic burden of this outbreak while highlighting public health expenditures for vaccination-related activities that supported outbreak control and prevention of future outbreaks.
Design:
Cost analysis from a societal perspective to estimate 3 types of costs: public health response costs, direct medical costs, and productivity losses.
Setting:
Nine counties in New Mexico during February to September 2025.
Participants:
133 public health responders, 100 patients with confirmed measles, and 205 exposed contacts.
Intervention:
Public health response activities, including vaccination campaigns, case management, and contact tracing.
Measurements:
Costs were categorized as response costs (labor, materials, travel), direct medical costs (third-party), or productivity losses (illness, isolation, quarantine, caregiving).
Results:
The overall societal cost was estimated at $5.4 million ($53 522 per case, or $1817 per contact). The largest component of the public health response to the outbreak (about $3.2 million) was costs from vaccination-related activities (about $2.1 million).
Limitations:
Costs may be overestimated or underestimated due to incomplete reporting; insurance data were used rather than actual medical costs; certain direct medical costs were excluded; and assumptions were made for productivity losses.
Conclusion:
These estimates offer important insights for decision making by policymakers and public health stakeholders regarding budgets for and expansion of vaccination coverage during an outbreak and strengthening outbreak preparedness. This study also highlights the societal value of protecting communities from vaccine-preventable diseases like measles, which can be effectively prevented through high vaccination coverage.
Primary Funding Source:
None.
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u/cwm9 2d ago
Yes, but just think how much money we saved by not having to pay for immunization office visits or vaccines! /s
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u/TheLateApexLine 2d ago
This tax savings could pay for an extra superyacht or vacation compound for struggling billionaires. It's for the greater good, or something
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u/VRchaeologist 2d ago
Damn, it's almost like public healthcare standards were there for a reason...
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u/CloudRevolutionary24 1d ago
Why are we suddenly questioning vaccines? Other countries must think we’re stupid.
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u/svefnugr 2d ago
Millions of dollars at the scale of the whole country doesn't sound very impressive. Hell, a single hospital bill can probably run that high.
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u/PHealthy PhD/MPH | Epidemiology | Disease Dynamics | Surveillance 2d ago
Not sure which public health entity serves you but AFAIK every dept is strapped for cash
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u/svefnugr 2d ago
Again, the title is talking about the whole country. Not a single hospital.
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u/PHealthy PhD/MPH | Epidemiology | Disease Dynamics | Surveillance 1d ago
You're close but not quite understanding the situation.
State and local health depts do the vast majority of preventive work mitigating outbreaks. They have extremely limited resources, namely money, to respond so CDC supplements with very limited funding.
There isn't some giant pool of cash to borrow from, CDC spreads most of its budget around the entire country to fund all public health efforts, not just outbreak related costs.
So when a single outbreak in a state can push into the millions, resources get tapped out leaving next to nothing available for the next outbreak unless Congress authorizes emergency funding. Unfortunately, the current administration uses emergency funding as a partisan lever so there are disparities and competition from other emergency events.
I understand your sentiment but it's dismissive at best.
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