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Measles Cases Surge in US, Exceeding Last Year’s Total in Just Three Months
Less than three months into 2025, measles cases in the United States have already surpassed last year’s total, driven by a significant outbreak in West Texas. With 320 cases reported across 16 states, this year’s count dwarfs the 285 cases confirmed in 2024, which was already the highest number since 2019.
Texas has been particularly hard hit, accounting for 259 of the cases, with neighboring New Mexico reporting another 35. Almost all of these cases occurred in individuals who were unvaccinated or whose vaccination status is unknown.
Tragically, the outbreak has claimed two lives: a school-aged child in Texas and an adult in New Mexico. These mark the first measles fatalities in the US in a decade, and the first childhood death from the disease since 2003.
While measles was declared eliminated in the US in 2000, meaning it’s not constantly circulating, outbreaks still occur. The current surge raises concerns among public health experts about the potential threat to the elimination status.
This concern is amplified by a global rise in measles cases, particularly in Europe and Central Asia, where reported cases have doubled since 2023, reaching their highest levels since 1997. Health organizations attribute this increase to a decline in vaccination rates during the pandemic.
Measles is highly contagious, capable of spreading to 9 out of 10 unvaccinated individuals exposed to an infected person. The virus can also remain airborne for up to two hours.
The measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine is 97% effective with two doses. While most US measles cases originate from abroad, declining vaccination rates within the country contribute to the virus’s spread.
The current outbreak began in Gaines County, Texas, where the kindergarten measles vaccination rate is only 82%, significantly below the recommended 95% threshold for community immunity.
Health officials in Texas and New Mexico are urging residents to get vaccinated. While the first MMR dose is typically recommended around age one, infants as young as six months living in outbreak areas can receive an early dose. Measles poses a particularly serious risk to children under five, with potentially fatal respiratory and neurological complications.