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3w ago

Kentucky Reports First Measles Cluster as U.S. Outbreak Reaches 1,267 Cases

Health authorities have ramped up vaccination drives in response to nationwide MMR coverage dropping below herd immunity levels due to persistent misinformation.

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Overview

  • Kentucky has confirmed five measles cases, four linked to a cluster that spread from Woodford County to Fayette County.
  • The U.S. has recorded 1,267 confirmed measles cases in 2025, marking the largest outbreak since the disease was declared eliminated in 2000.
  • Three fatalities among unvaccinated individuals—two children in West Texas and one adult in New Mexico—have been reported this year.
  • Kentucky Health Secretary Steven Stack is urging parents to vaccinate their children as state and federal officials intensify immunization campaigns.
  • Declining MMR vaccination rates have fallen below the 95 percent threshold necessary for herd immunity due to pandemic disruptions and persistent misinformation.