NC Republican leader: measles, not vaccines, restrict our freedom | Opinion

As North Carolinians begin to thaw from an unseasonably cold winter, a different kind of chill is spreading across our state: measles. Twenty-two cases and counting. Our children are getting sick with a disease that was declared eliminated from America in 2000.

Just across the border, South Carolina is living through a nightmare. Over 870 measles cases. At least 788 children infected. More than 350 people quarantined, their lives suddenly frozen. More than 300 K-12 students locked out of school. More than 80 college students at Clemson, Furman, and Anderson University in South Carolina confined to quarantine or isolation, likely missing classes they’re paying good money to attend.

Disease doesn’t respect state lines. Measles is already here in North Carolina, spreading through our communities. Since December, state health leaders have reported 18 measles cases with a new measles case reported each week in 2026. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s decision to dramatically scale back vaccine recommendations is only going to make this problem worse.

Let me paint you a picture of what’s unfolding in South Carolina — and what could happen here. A child spikes a high fever. Red spots appear, then raised bumps that spread and merge across their entire body. Parents watch helplessly as their child suffers. Children are developing brain swelling — encephalitis — that can cause convulsions, permanent deafness, and intellectual disability.

But the suffering extends far beyond the sick children themselves.

Hundreds of families are trapped in quarantine, unable to go to work, school, or anywhere else. Small business owners lose income. Students fall behind academically. High school athletes miss games they’ve trained for all season. Families are forced to cancel long-planned trips. Families are burning through work sick days and vacation time to stay home with exposed children, exposing themselves in the process.

Here’s what many don’t seem to understand: disease outbreaks don’t just make people sick. They steal our freedom.

No government had to order lockdowns in South Carolina. The disease did it for them. When measles spreads, Americans lose the ability to live their lives. They can’t send their kids to school. They can’t go to work. They can’t visit elderly relatives. They can’t travel to see family across the country. They can’t attend football games, concerts, or church.

Restaurants sit half-empty. Movie theaters lose revenue. Concert venues see ticket sales plummet. Tourism - North Carolina’s second biggest economic sector— takes a hit as visitors avoid outbreak zones.

All because people are rightfully afraid of a highly contagious disease that can permanently harm or kill their children.

I understand why many Americans are skeptical of public health authorities. The COVID-19 pandemic brought aggressive mandates, confusing guidance that changed frequently, and policies that often felt disconnected from people’s real lives. That frustration is legitimate, and many families understandably lost trust in government health directives. I know, because I’ve experienced it myself.

But here’s what we can’t let happen: we can’t allow that skepticism to poison our confidence in childhood vaccines that have protected American children for generations. Measles vaccines have been used safely for roughly 60 years. Polio vaccines saved countless children from life in iron lungs. These aren’t experimental interventions — they’re proven tools with decades of real world success.

Secretary Kennedy has the best intentions of making America healthy again. But intentions don’t change outcomes, and the unintended consequence of his vaccine policy is already unfolding. Parents are confused about what vaccines their children actually need, pediatricians are fielding an influx of questions from parents, and health departments are bracing for more outbreaks. Today it’s measles. What will it be tomorrow, polio? Whooping cough? Or something much worse?

We need Washington to return to clarity. The science on childhood vaccines isn’t controversial or uncertain — it’s gold-standard, tested over decades, and proven to save lives and prevent suffering. And we need an administration that values freedom enough to preserve it by preventing disease outbreaks, rather than creating confusion that undermines legitimate tools that keep Americans — especially our children — healthy and free.

Dan Gurley is a long-time North Carolina Republican leader who’s worked at the NCGOP, on Capitol Hill, for the Republican National Committee, and as a Senior Advisor to the NC Speaker of the House.

This story was originally published February 24, 2026 at 2:06 PM with the headline "NC Republican leader: measles, not vaccines, restrict our freedom | Opinion."