In the year 2000, measles were declared eliminated from the United States. But thanks to declining vaccination rates, Americans may have to contend with a much scarier future for the deadly disease. Today on the show, we talk about the state of measles, and we explain the role Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of Health and Human Services, has played in the shifting culture around vaccines in America.
You can follow Michael Calore on Bluesky at @snackfight, Lauren Goode on Bluesky at @laurengoode, and Katie Drummond on Bluesky at @katie-drummond. Write to us at uncannyvalley@wired.com.
How to Listen
You can always listen to this week’s podcast through the audio player on this page, but if you want to subscribe for free to get every episode, here’s how:
If you’re on an iPhone or iPad, open the app called Podcasts, or just tap this link. You can also download an app like Overcast or Pocket Casts and search for “uncanny valley.” We’re on Spotify too.
Transcript
Note: This is an automated transcript, which may contain errors.
Michael Calore: How’s everybody feeling?
Katie Drummond: I’m on the road this week, which listeners might notice, but I feel OK, I feel good. Lauren, how do you feel?
Lauren Goode: I’m doing good, actually. I’m feeling better than I’ve been feeling in months.
Katie Drummond: Wow!
Lauren Goode: Somehow, some way. I’m not on the road. I think maybe that’s why, I’ve had a long bout without travel. Katie, I thought you were going to say that after you came back from France and you developed this new French butter habit that you were feeling better than ever before.
Katie Drummond: I do. The butter is so life-affirming. I’ve been eating a lot of French butter. And I feel great! I feel incredible.
Lauren Goode: Amazing. Did you run five miles this morning? That’s what I want to know.
Katie Drummond: I ran seven miles this morning. Sorry.
Lauren Goode: Stop it!
Michael Calore: Seven?
Katie Drummond: Yeah.
Michael Calore: Wow.
Lauren Goode: Flex.
Michael Calore: I have run zero miles in the last month. No, no, that’s not true.
Lauren Goode: No, we went running.
Michael Calore: In the last two weeks. We did.
Lauren Goode: Yeah.
Michael Calore: It’s an important part of my health routine and when I don’t do it, I definitely feel it.
Katie Drummond: Oh, yeah.
Lauren Goode: Yeah,
Michael Calore: Today we are going to be talking about our health, and not just our own health, but the health of all Americans because it has been on everybody’s mind lately. Here at WIRED, we’ve been reporting on the current administration’s dismantling of the public health agencies and defunding of research programs. We’ve tracked all the ways that Elon Musk and his DOGE cohort have been hoovering up all of our sensitive health data and the sensitive health data of millions of Americans without offering a clear explanation of why they’re doing it. And we’ve been watching the shift in culture around vaccines in America, and changing attitudes about what the government’s role should be in our collective well-being. On this episode, we’re going to talk about all of that. We’ll talk about the measles outbreak. We’ll talk about all of the other health crises that we really thought we would never have to talk about anymore. But it won’t be all heavy stuff, I’m sure we will find a way at some point to have some fun in this show.
