The United States has reached a troubling new milestone in 2025, as measles cases soar to their highest levels in over 25 years. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports at least 1,277 confirmed cases of measles, surpassing the previous record of 1,274 cases in 2019.
With the year only halfway through, experts warn that the actual number of cases is likely much higher due to underreporting.
This sharp increase in measles cases comes after a decline in childhood vaccination rates and an ongoing outbreak that began in West Texas, particularly in Gaines County, where vaccination rates are alarmingly low.
As a result, the U.S. risks losing its measles elimination status, which it achieved in 2000 when the disease was no longer considered to be continuously transmitted within the country.
Deadly Outbreak in Texas and Nationwide Impact
The majority of the 2025 measles cases have been linked to an outbreak in West Texas, where 750+ cases have been reported. The outbreak began in late January and has since spread to surrounding areas, including New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Kansas.
Gaines County, in particular, has experienced a high number of cases, with nearly 1 in 4 kindergartners lacking the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine in the 2024-2025 school year.
The outbreak has already had tragic consequences. Three people have died from measles in 2025, including two children in Texas and one adult in New Mexico, all of whom were unvaccinated. This matches the total number of measles deaths in the U.S. over the previous two and a half decades.
Efforts to Combat the Outbreak
In response to the West Texas outbreak, health officials have ramped up vaccination efforts. Special vaccination clinics have been set up to increase coverage, with expanded guidelines allowing infants to receive their first dose of the MMR vaccine as early as 6 months old instead of waiting until they are a year old.
Texas has seen a significant rise in early vaccination rates, with MMR vaccination rates for 6-month-olds in the state increasing more than eight times compared to 2019.
While these efforts have led to a temporary increase in vaccination coverage, health experts remain concerned about the long-term effects of declining vaccine rates across the U.S.
International Connections to the Outbreak
The measles outbreak is not confined to the U.S. Mexico, where a large outbreak is also concentrated among the Mennonite population, has seen high case numbers. There is also a significant outbreak in Ontario, Canada, which is linked to cases in Michigan.
In April, Mexico issued a warning for travelers to the U.S. and Canada due to the high number of measles cases in these regions. Canada has reported at least one death from measles this year, and Mexico has reported nine deaths.
The Global Spread and Unvaccinated Populations
The spread of measles highlights the critical importance of vaccination. According to CDC data, about 92% of the measles cases this year have occurred in unvaccinated individuals.
Only around 8% of cases involved individuals who had received one or two doses of the MMR vaccine. Additionally, measles is one of the most contagious diseases worldwide, making outbreaks particularly difficult to control without widespread vaccination.
Among the cases reported in the U.S. this year, approximately 28% have been in children under the age of 5, further underscoring the risk that measles poses to vulnerable populations.
The Growing Vaccine Debate
The rise in measles cases coincides with a growing debate about vaccines in the U.S. and globally. Despite the MMR vaccine’s safety and effectiveness—with one dose being 93% effective against measles and two doses offering 97% effectiveness—vaccine hesitancy remains a significant barrier to achieving high vaccination coverage.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has set a target for 95% of kindergarteners to receive two doses of the MMR vaccine, but the country has fallen short of this goal for four years in a row.
The Trump administration’s efforts to reduce vaccination mandates have raised further concerns among public health officials. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a vocal critic of vaccines and the current Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, has been criticized for his controversial stance on measles vaccines.
His actions, such as dismissing expert panels that have historically guided vaccine recommendations, have alarmed many health professionals, including the American Medical Association.