Mapping Vaccine Shortfalls and Paying for Egg Donations
July 18, 2025
Editors' Note
U.S. measles cases are at their highest level in 33 years, with approximately 1,300 incidents recorded as of July 15. The announcement coincides with growing vaccine distrust among Americans and comes after Europe recorded more than 127,000 measles cases in 2024, its highest mark since 1997.
A new study estimates more than 15 million children missed their necessary childhood vaccination between 2020 and 2023. TGH Associate Editor Allison Krugman interviews two researchers behind the work—Jonathan Mosser and Emily Haeuser from the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME). They explain what could lie ahead for immunization campaigns.
Expanding on our recent coverage of violence against health care during the so-called 12-day war, Insecurity Insight's Tim Bishop presents 2024 data on those attacks, exposing the Middle East as ground zero for a global crisis.
To wrap up, physician and journalist Ferrukh Faruqui outlines the risks behind the human egg donation industry. Faruqui describes how the $400 million sector is booming as more women choose to delay having children, but clinics typically do not disclose the lack of research on long-term health consequences.
Until next week!—Nsikan Akpan, Managing Editor, and Caroline Kantis, Associate Editor
