More than 600 confirmed measles cases have been reported in 21 states, including six outbreaks, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The CDC reported 607 confirmed measles cases Friday, 97% of whom are unvaccinated or have an unknown vaccination status. Seventy-four of the cases have been hospitalized, including 42 children under 5 years and 19 children ages 5-19 years. Two measles deaths have been confirmed this year, including an unvaccinated child. No new measles deaths were reported Friday.
The CDC reported six measles outbreaks, defined as three or more related cases. Of the 607 confirmed cases, 93% are outbreak-associated, according to the CDC.
Measles cases have been confirmed in Alaska, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York City, New York state, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont and Washington.
The largest outbreak is in Texas, where the Texas Department of State Health Services is reporting 481 confirmed measles cases. The majority of those cases are in west Texas near the New Mexico border. Gaines County has reported 315 cases.
In neighboring New Mexico, 54 measles cases have been confirmed, according to the New Mexico Department of Health. Fifty-two of those cases have been reported in Lea County, which borders Gaines County, Texas.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported 24 provisional cases, and the Ohio Department of Health reported 10 cases.
Last month, the CDC issued a Health Alert Network advisory stating that “measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccination remains the most important tool for preventing measles.”
According to an October 2024 CDC report, MMR vaccination coverage among U.S. kindergartners dipped to 92.7% in the 2023-’24 school year; that figure was 95.2% in 2019-’20. Herd immunity is achieved when more than 95% of people in a community are vaccinated.
Measles was officially eliminated from the United States in 2000, and only 85 measles cases were reported that year. However, declining vaccination rates have led to multiple outbreaks in recent years. In 2024, 285 cases were reported, and 1,274 cases were reported in 2019, the most reported in the last 25 years.
The CDC recommends health care professionals ensure all patients are up to date on MMR vaccination to prevent infection and spread. The first dose is given at 12-15 months of age, and the second is given at 4-6 years of age. One dose of MMR is 93% effective against measles, and two doses are 97% effective.
With spring and summer travel, the HAN alert recommends everyone, including those planning international travel, be up to date on MMR vaccine. Travelers can check the CDC’s Travel Health page for advice and a list of countries where measles outbreaks have been reported.
The measles virus is transmitted by contact with infectious droplets or by airborne spread when an infected person breathes, coughs or sneezes. Measles virus can remain infectious in the air up to two hours after an infected person leaves an area.
Illness onset (high fever, cough, runny nose and red, watery eyes) begins a week or two after someone is exposed. A few days later, a rash breaks out as flat, red spots on the face and then spreads down the neck and trunk to the rest of the body. A person is contagious about four days before the rash appears to four days after.
Other measles symptoms may include small spots in the cheek area inside the mouth, diarrhea and ear infection. Measles can lead to pneumonia, swelling of the brain, deafness, intellectual disability and death.
Most children who get measles are not up to date on recommended vaccines or are not old enough to get measles vaccine.
Resources
- AAP Red Book chapter on measles
- Measles FAQs
- AAP Fact Checked articles on measles vaccine safety and effectiveness and how vitamin A does not prevent measles
- CDC clinical overview of measles
- Information for families from HealthyChildren.org on how to protect children during a measles outbreak
- FAQs on how to protect babies from a measles outbreak from HealthyChildren.org
