In 2026, confidence in the CDC, which has lost thousands of employees to layoffs and does not have a Senate-confirmed director, needs to be monitored.Many senior leaders and scientists have left, turning the agency into an organization run by political appointees.In the U.S., there were 2012 confirmed cases of measles in 2025, the most since the early 1990s, and three deaths in 2025, the first in this century.[The U.S. administration withdraws from the WHO,[1] reducing international cooperation, including fewer viral samples for the CDC lab.There is growing skepticism about vaccines, including mRNA technology, and declining vaccination rates.[1][2] Nearly half of Americans (47%) fear they will not be able to afford health care in 2026, largely due to rising drug prices (37%).Rising health care costs (52% of respondents) and regulatory pressures are also among the key challenges.[3