Measles Cases in the US Reach 33-Year High

Strategic Insights -

The United States has reached a 33-year high in measles cases, with at least 1,277 confirmed cases across 38 states and the District of Columbia. This marks a public health reversal in defeating the highly contagious vaccine-preventable disease as the anti-vaccine movement gains strength. The surge in cases has been attributed to misinformation about the safety and effectiveness of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, as well as declining vaccination rates and pockets of unvaccinated communities.

Key Takeaways:

  • At least 155 people have been hospitalized and three people have died of measles-related complications this year, including two otherwise healthy children in Texas and a man in New Mexico, all of whom were unvaccinated.
  • The largest outbreak has been in West Texas, where officials have recorded more than 750 cases since late January, with a true toll likely higher.
  • Unrelated clusters of cases have emerged elsewhere, usually originating with an unvaccinated person who traveled abroad.
  • About 92 percent of measles cases in 2025 were in people who were either unvaccinated or whose vaccination status was unknown, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
  • Misinformation about the MMR vaccine has fueled the resurgence of measles cases, with public health officials and researchers attributing the 1,274 cases recorded in 2019 to anti-vaxxer communities.
  • Confidence in public health measures, especially vaccines, has fallen since 2019, and is sharply divided along political lines, with support for vaccination stronger among Democrats (90 percent) than Republicans (68 percent).
  • Public health experts warn that the US is on track to lose its measles elimination status if there is continuous spread of linked measles cases for more than 12 months.
  • A recent study showed that if US vaccination rates continue to decline, the nation could face millions of cases over the next 25 years.

Statistics:

  • 1,277 confirmed measles cases in 38 states and the District of Columbia, marking a 33-year high (Johns Hopkins University Center for Outbreak Response Innovation)
  • 155 people hospitalized and 3 deaths this year due to measles-related complications (CDC)
  • 92 percent of measles cases in 2025 were in people who were either unvaccinated or whose vaccination status was unknown (CDC)
  • 750+ cases in West Texas since late January, with a true toll likely higher (CDC)
  • 90 percent of adults support requiring children to be vaccinated against preventable diseases to attend school (Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and de Beaumont Foundation poll)
  • 79 percent of adults say parents should be required to have children vaccinated against preventable diseases (Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and de Beaumont Foundation poll)

Sources:

  • Johns Hopkins University Center for Outbreak Response Innovation
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  • Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and de Beaumont Foundation poll
  • American Academy of Pediatrics
  • The New England Journal of Medicine
  • Pan American Health Organization
  • KFF