**Florida’s Public Health Emergency: A Narrative of Systemic Failure**
Florida is experiencing a shocking uptick in pertussis cases, with more than 1,300 incidents reported—an 81% rise since 2024. As a former pediatrician, I have witnessed this heartbreaking trend unfold not merely as an expert but as an observer of the systemic retreat and destruction of public health infrastructure.
The statistics are concerning. In 2025, measles cases surpassed 1,500, leading to three unfortunate fatalities—the first measles-related deaths in the U.S. in over ten years. These figures convey a broader story of vulnerability, as children, families, and communities bear the brunt of a system that has been overlooked and is no longer able to protect them.
For more than 125 years, we built a robust public health system through legislation, vaccination initiatives, and coordinated care models, celebrating the elimination of measles in 2000. However, recent policies have negated these accomplishments, bringing back diseases that were once under control.
The Trump administration’s dismantling of public health priorities, paired with ineffective vaccine communications and the disbanding of coordinated care systems, has led to clinic closures, program cuts, and the loss of institutional knowledge. These alterations have torn down the systems I assisted in creating through NIH-supported research, military service, and rural clinic enhancements.
Yet there is pushback. Parents are demanding answers, healthcare providers are holding onto vital knowledge, and media organizations are amplifying these issues. I’ve written opinion pieces for KevinMD and have appeared on major media platforms such as CBS and FOX, with my memoir, “The Cassandra Factor,” acting as both a warning and a rallying call.
This emergency is not limited to pertussis or measles; it concerns the preservation of public health memory, civic duty, and the necessity to thwart the politicization and potential destruction of health systems.
Though I am retired, my advocacy continues through media participation and public testimony, working to remind us of past victories and their importance.
This circumstance represents resilience, transformation, and a steadfast dedication to public health.
**About Dr. Ronald L. Lindsay**
Dr. Ronald L. Lindsay’s career includes military service, academic leadership, and public health advancements, concentrating on promoting neurodevelopmental science and equitable care. His research, featured in esteemed journals, has influenced evidence-based strategies for developmental disorders. As the previous Medical Director of the Nisonger Center at Ohio State University, he led initiatives enhancing care accessibility, such as the LEND Program and the JBLM CARES initiative. His published works and ongoing memoir demonstrate a lifelong commitment to protecting public health systems.