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2d ago

U.S. Measles Cases Surge to Highest Level Since 1992

CDC warns that falling vaccination coverage and ongoing outbreaks threaten to forfeit the nation’s measles elimination status.

FILE - A sign is displayed outside the Seminole Hospital District offering measles testing, Feb. 21, 2025, in Seminole, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)
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Overview

  • The U.S. has tallied 1,288 measles cases in 2025 across 38 states, the highest annual total since 1992.
  • Dozens of patients have been hospitalized and three people—two children in Texas and an adult in New Mexico—have died.
  • In 92% of confirmed cases, patients were unvaccinated or had unknown vaccination status.
  • Vaccination coverage among kindergarteners slipped to 92.7% in 2023–2024, below the 95% threshold needed for herd immunity.
  • Health officials note signs of transmission slowing in some hotspots but warn that a year of continuous spread would revoke elimination status and could presage other disease resurgences.