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Measles Outbreak in U.S. Grows to Over 15 States, Driven by Vaccine Hesitancy

Health officials report 378 confirmed cases, with Texas at the center, as misinformation and international travel fuel the spread.

A nurse prepares a doze of measles vaccine at a hospital in the Moroccan coastal city of Temara on February 27, 2025. Authorities in Morocco have been scrambling to contain an outbreak of measles, a contagious and potentially fatal disease that had nearly been eradicated in the kingdom but has rebounded as vaccination rates have fallen. (Photo by Abdel Majid BZIOUAT / AFP) (Photo by ABDEL MAJID BZIOUAT/AFP via Getty Images)
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FILE – A vial of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine is on display at the Lubbock Health Department Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, in Lubbock, Texas. (AP Photo/Mary Conlon, File)

Overview

  • Texas leads the outbreak with 309 confirmed cases, including 40 hospitalizations and one death of an unvaccinated six-year-old girl.
  • The outbreak has spread to more than 15 states, including New Mexico, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Maryland, with some cases linked to international travel.
  • Health officials emphasize vaccination as the most effective prevention, with mass vaccination clinics set up in affected areas.
  • Vaccine hesitancy and misinformation are significant barriers to containment, particularly in rural communities like Gaines County, Texas.
  • Measles, one of the most contagious diseases, can linger in the air for hours, making it challenging to control without widespread vaccination.