Sign in Subscribe
Measles

Worst Year for Measles Spread in the US in Decades

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

The US is experiencing its worst year for measles spread in over three decades, with a total of 1,288 cases nationally as of 2024, surpassing the 2019 total of 1,274. The outbreaks, some of which are interconnected, started five months ago in under-vaccinated communities in West Texas, resulting in three deaths and dozens of hospitalizations. Public health experts believe the actual case count may be higher than confirmed by state health departments.

Key Takeaways:

  • The US is having its worst year for measles spread in over three decades, with 1,288 cases nationally and six months to go in 2024.
  • The outbreaks, some of which are interconnected, started in under-vaccinated communities in West Texas five months ago and have resulted in three deaths and dozens of hospitalizations.
  • The measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine is 97% effective at preventing measles after two doses.
  • The World Health Organization declared the US measles-free in 2000.
  • The largest outbreaks in 2019 were in New York state and New York City, both linked to Orthodox Jewish communities.
  • This year's outbreaks in Canada, Mexico, and the US stem from large Mennonite communities, where vaccination rates are historically low.
  • A recent study found childhood vaccination rates against measles fell after the COVID-19 pandemic in nearly 80% of US counties, including those with current outbreaks.
  • Only 92.7% of kindergarteners in the US had the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine in the 2023-2024 school year, below the 95% needed to prevent outbreaks.
  • In Gaines County, Texas, the epicenter of the Texas outbreak, only 82% of kindergarteners were up-to-date with MMR vaccines.
  • Funding for vaccination programs has been stagnant, with local public health departments tasked with reversing the trend.

Statistics:

  • 1,288 cases of measles reported nationally as of 2024.
  • 1,274 cases of measles reported nationally in 2019.
  • 2,966 cases of measles reported in Chihuahua state, Mexico.
  • 2,223 cases of measles reported in Ontario, Canada.
  • 1,230 cases of measles reported in Alberta, Canada.
  • 22 outbreaks identified by the CDC in 2019.
  • Only 92.7% of kindergarteners in the US had the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine in the 2023-2024 school year.

Sources:

  • The Associated Press
  • World Health Organization
  • US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
  • Johns Hopkins University's independent measles and COVID tracking databases
  • Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Department of Science Education
  • Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Read more