Measles outbreak: United States having worst year for measles in more than 3 decades, CDC says
Share this @internewscast.com

The U.S. is experiencing its most severe year for measles transmission in over thirty years, with 1,288 reported cases across the nation and still six months remaining in 2025.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced on Wednesday that the national case tally exceeded that of 2019, which had 1,274 cases, a year when the country nearly lost its status of having eliminated the vaccine-preventable disease. This year, that same status may again be in jeopardy if the virus continues to spread unabated for 12 months.

This year’s outbreaks, some of which are interconnected, commenced five months ago in communities with low vaccination rates in West Texas. Three individuals have died—two children in Texas and one adult in New Mexico—and dozens have required hospitalization. Public health officials believe the actual number of cases may be higher than what state health departments have verified.

North America has three other major measles outbreaks, with 2,966 cases in Chihuahua state, Mexico, 2,223 cases in Ontario, Canada and 1,230 in Alberta, Canada. Thirteen other states have current confirmed outbreaks of three or more people – Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma and Utah – and four other states saw their outbreaks end.

The measles, mumps and rubella vaccine is 97% effective at preventing measles after two doses.

The World Health Organization said in 2000 that measles had been eliminated from the U.S.

The CDC identified 22 outbreaks in 2019, the largest being two separate clusters in New York – 412 in New York state and 702 in New York City. These were linked because as measles was spreading through close-knit Orthodox Jewish communities, the CDC said.

It’s a similar situation in North America this year, where the Canada, Mexico and Texas outbreaks stem from large Mennonite communities in the regions. Mennonite churches do not formally discourage vaccination, though more conservative Mennonite communities historically have low vaccination rates and a distrust of government.

A recent study found childhood vaccination rates against measles fell after the COVID-19 pandemic in nearly 80% of the more than 2,000 U.S. counties with available data, including in states that are battling outbreaks this year.

Only 92.7% of kindergarteners in the U.S. had the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine in the 2023-2024 school year, below the 95% needed to prevent outbreaks. In Gaines County, Texas, the epicenter of the Texas outbreak, only 82% of kindergarteners were up-to-date with MMR vaccines.

State and federal leaders have for years kept funding stagnant for local public health departments’ vaccination programs that are tasked with reversing the trend.

“What we’re seeing with measles is a little bit of a ‘canary in a coal mine,'” said Lauren Gardner, leader of Johns Hopkins University’s independent measles and COVID tracking databases. “It’s indicative of a problem that we know exists with vaccination attitudes in this county and just, I think, likely to get worse.”

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

ABC7 Chicago’s Rob Hughes contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2025 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Archaeologist unearths mysterious Christian settlement hidden away for centuries

Archaeologist Discovers Long-Lost Christian Settlement Hidden for Centuries

An archaeologist recently discovered what are likely the remains of a long-lost…
Illustration of Indiana fireworks legality: pie charts showing legal times to set off fireworks for various dates.

New July 9 ‘Fireworks’ Law Enforces Instant Fines in US Cities for Violations—With One Date Exception

PEOPLE who set off fireworks now face instant fines for breaking a…
Shanna Gardner's onto jailhouse snitches, even murderers and human traffickers

Shanna Gardner Targets Informants in Jail, Including Killers and Human Traffickers

On May 23, Gardner’s legal team submitted a motion requesting a court…
New York ABSOLUTELY should ban masked 'protests'

New York Should Certainly Prohibit Masked ‘Protests’

Masked protestors took to the city streets, targeting Jewish neighborhoods, and voiced…
Country singer Conner Smith involved in Nashville crash, killing pedestrian

Emerging Country Artist Conner Smith Cited Following Deadly Accident in Nashville

Police indicated Smith showed no signs of impairment at the time of…
Chicago crime: Dion Wallace speaks out after son killed in Logan Square stabbing, fire; Wendy Tolbert charged after 3 kids stabbed

Tragedy in Chicago: Father Dion Wallace Shares Loss After Son’s Death in Logan Square; Wendy Tolbert Faces Charges in Stabbing Incident Involving 3 Children

CHICAGO (WLS) — A Chicago father is speaking out after a tragedy…
Photo of a Chinese citizen detained in Kyiv, Ukraine, for allegedly attempting to export classified documents.

Ukraine Detains Chinese Father and Son Accused of Spying on Long-Range Missile Program

A CHINESE dad and his son have been accused of attempting to…
George Mason University faces investigation in Trump administration's anti-DEI crackdown

George Mason University Under Investigation Amidst Trump Administration’s Crackdown on DEI

WASHINGTON (AP) — On Thursday, the Trump administration initiated a civil rights…
Bikini-clad Sofía Vergara celebrates 53rd birthday in Sardinia

Sofía Vergara Marks Her 53rd Birthday in Sardinia in a Bikini

Buon compleanno! Sofía Vergara celebrated her 53rd birthday in a white bikini…
Protesters and federal agents clash during raid at Southern California farm

Clash Erupts Between Protesters and Federal Agents During Southern California Farm Raid

A clash broke out on Thursday involving protesters and federal agents conducting…
Driver arrested after attempting to drive through fence at US military base: authorities

Authorities Detain Driver for Trying to Break Through Fence at US Military Base

Officials in Virginia said an unauthorized individual attempted to enter Joint Base…
Therapist sitting in front of hyperbaric chambers.

Therapist, 43, Tragically Perishes in Fiery Blaze Inside Oxygen Chamber After Sudden Fire at His Clinic

A PHYSICAL therapist has been burned alive inside a hyperbaric oxygen chamber…