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2w ago

Measles Outbreak Intensifies Across U.S. and Canada, Threatening Elimination Status

Texas and Ontario remain epicenters as cases surge past 1,500, prompting updated vaccination guidelines and public health interventions.

A measles advisory is shown tacked to a bulletin board outside Gaines County Courthouse on April 9, 2025, in Seminole, Texas.
An information booth for measles vaccinations offered by Harris County Public Health is photographed on Saturday, April 5, 2025 in Houston. The measles outbreak centered in the South Plains region of Texas grew to 541 cases across the state on Friday, according to health officials.
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Measles cases are spreading rapidly across the United States

Overview

  • The U.S. has confirmed 680 measles cases across 22 states, with Texas accounting for 505 cases, 57 hospitalizations, and two child fatalities.
  • Ontario has reported 816 cases, including 61 hospitalizations, primarily among unvaccinated children, with cases spreading to new regions in the province.
  • The CDC now recommends additional measles vaccine doses for travelers and residents in outbreak areas, such as Texas and Kansas, to curb transmission.
  • Public health officials warn that the outbreak could jeopardize the U.S.'s measles elimination status, achieved in 2000, due to ongoing transmission in undervaccinated communities.
  • Local health departments, including in Indiana and Ontario, have launched expanded vaccination drives and mobile clinics to address gaps in immunization coverage.