Overview

• Alder Hey Children’s Hospital issued an urgent open letter reporting multiple children seriously unwell with measles complications and an increasing caseload
• MMR vaccination coverage in England has slipped to 88%, falling short of the 95% threshold the World Health Organization deems necessary for herd immunity
• U.S. measles cases have topped 1,288 in 2025, surpassing the 1,274 cases recorded in 2019 and marking the worst year since elimination in 2000
• The U.S. outbreak has led to at least 155 hospitalizations and three confirmed deaths—all among unvaccinated individuals in Texas and New Mexico
• CDC scientists warn that if transmission continues uninterrupted through January 2026, the U.S. risks losing its measles elimination designation