A pro-vaccine organization has acknowledged that the influx of foreign nationals coming to the U.S. for the FIFA World Cup has contributed to the spread of measles, especially as recent outbreaks have impacted various areas of the country.
VaccinesWork published an article on Monday titled, “Measles vaccine push urged in Americas after World Cup.” Although the piece advocates for increased vaccination rates, it referenced epidemiology researchers who indicated that international visitors attending the soccer event significantly influenced the transmission of this highly contagious disease in countries across the Americas, including the U.S.
The subheading noted, “The Americas reports record levels of measles as vaccination coverage declines and football World Cup fuels transmission.”
VaccinesWork was launched in March 2020 by Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance, to focus on news, features, and insights related to global health and immunization efforts. In 2025, the Gates Foundation reaffirmed its pledge to contribute 1.6 billion dollars to Gavi, aiming to vaccinate over half of the world’s children by 2030.
Bianca de Oliveira Cata Preta, a researcher in epidemiology who works on child vaccination projects for Gavi and the World Health Organization, was quoted in the article.
Cata Preta pointed out, “High mobility associated with international travel and mass events are factors that can favor the spread of the virus within and between countries.”
It was suggested in the article that the significant number of travelers moving through Mexico, the U.S., and Canada from June to July could be linked to the resurgence of measles in the Americas. As of now, 95% of measles cases reported in the Americas in 2026 are found in the U.S., Guatemala, Mexico, and Peru, according to the report which cited the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). However, the link to the data mentioned in the article was broken as of Friday afternoon.
The U.S. hosted 78 World Cup matches across 11 cities in the summer of 2026, which accounted for nearly 75% of the tournament, as noted by EuroNews. Fans from around the globe gathered to cheer for their national teams.
Prior to the tournament, the U.S. State Department projected that five to seven million international travelers would arrive, according to The National Desk.
Pennsylvania, which is currently experiencing the highest number of measles cases in the U.S., held six soccer matches in Philadelphia this summer, attracting over 500,000 attendees as reported by the Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development.
Five of the teams that played in Philadelphia were from countries in the Western Hemisphere: Ecuador, Brazil, Haiti, Costa Rica, and Paraguay.
Pennsylvania continues to see a surge in measles, with 850 cases reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as of Thursday. Lancaster County has been making headlines due to its high measles infection rate within the state.
Republican Lancaster County Commissioner Joshua Parsons mentioned to the Daily Caller News Foundation that he hasn’t heard of any specific discussions regarding medical issues stemming from the World Cup.
It was previously reported that there is an ongoing issue between the Pennsylvania Public Health Department and the Lancaster County coroner concerning a death associated with measles. Further investigations into other fatalities are underway, but not much information has been publicly shared. County officials have indicated that there has been a lack of transparency from the government and public health department regarding demographic data and causes behind the outbreak.
