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2mo ago

U.S. Measles Cases Reach Highest Level Since Elimination

Declining vaccination rates have fueled ongoing transmission that risks the U.S. losing its measles elimination status.

The CDC recommends that children get their first dose of the MMR vaccine when they turn 1, but local governments in places with outbreaks or elevated risk of transmission often recommend early vaccination for infants as young as 6 months.
Anna Hicks prepares a measles, mumps and rubella vaccine at the Andrews County Health Department, Tuesday, April 8, 2025, in Andrews, Texas. (AP Photo/Annie Rice)
Hundreds of measles cases have been reported in Gaines County, Texas, where vaccination rates were far below recommended levels.
A measles advisory is shown tacked to a bulletin board outside Gaines County Courthouse on April 09, 2025 in Seminole, Texas. A second confirmed measles-related death has been reported in the city of Lubbock amidst an ongoing outbreak which began in late January. As of early April, the Texas Department of State Health Services has confirmed more than 500 cases within 22 counties, ranging from the South Plains toward the Panhandle.

Overview

  • By July 7, the U.S. recorded 1,277 confirmed measles cases in 2025, overtaking the 2019 total and marking the highest annual tally since elimination in 2000.
  • A persistent outbreak in West Texas’s Gaines County accounts for more than 750 cases and has seeded at least 27 clusters across 38 states.
  • Over 90% of infections have occurred in unvaccinated individuals, contributing to 155 hospitalizations and three deaths—two children in Texas and an unvaccinated adult in New Mexico.
  • Sustained transmission beyond 12 months could revoke the nation’s elimination status, prompting federal and state health agencies to boost early-dose clinics and community vaccination drives.
  • Declining kindergarten MMR coverage and public health funding cuts have weakened herd immunity, with some communities falling below the 95% vaccination threshold.