County executive and APHA CEO warn of national public-health setbacks, urge vaccinations

Montgomery County Executive (transcript name: Mark Elledge) and Dr. Georges Benjamin, chief executive officer of the American Public Health Association, used a weekly county briefing to argue that recent federal actions and anti-vaccine rhetoric have weakened the national public-health response and increased local risks.

"We did everything we could to keep people alive here," the county executive said in opening remarks, recounting early pandemic actions and crediting local officials for avoiding the worst outcomes. He criticized federal downsizing of research institutions and recent public attacks on scientists, saying those moves have contributed to declines in vaccination coverage nationwide.

Dr. Benjamin praised the county's public-health workforce and urged parents to make sure children have required school immunizations. "I encourage people to make sure, particularly now, as they're getting ready to plan to go back to school, for parents to get all their kids vaccinated," he said. He added that while Montgomery County has strong officers and systems, national leadership is not reliably providing expert guidance.

Both speakers warned about recent increases in measles nationally. The executive said the U.S. has "surpassed the number of measles cases in all of 2025," and Dr. Benjamin emphasized the human and economic cost of outbreaks, noting that a single measles case can require tens of thousands of dollars in case-finding and response efforts.

The briefing framed vaccinations as both a public-health necessity and a cost-avoidance measure for county budgets, and officials said they will continue local outreach and clinic partnerships as students return to school.