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.