Editor’s note: For more AAP News coverage of the measles outbreak, visit https://bit.ly/Measles2025.
Measles cases have increased to 884 and have been reported in five more states. The data come as a new study predicts 851,000 cases over the next 25 years if vaccination rates stay at current levels.
Confirmed case counts reported Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) rose by about 10.5% from the week before, although experts say they are likely to be undercounted significantly. Roughly 68% of the cases were among children and teenagers.
About 11% of people with measles have been hospitalized this year, and three people have died, including two unvaccinated school-age children in Texas who had no underlying conditions.
Cases were reported in five new states Friday (in bold), bringing the total to 30 jurisdictions with cases this year: Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York City, New York State, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia and Washington.
The largest of the 11 outbreaks (defined as three or more related cases) this year has been in west Texas. The Texas Department of State Health Services has reported 646 cases of measles as of April 25, an increase of 49 cases since a week ago. Gaines County has reported 393 (60.8%) of the state’s total cases. Neighboring Lea County, N.M., has reported 61 of that state’s 66 cases. The AAP and CDC recommend ensuring patients are covered with a two-dose measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccination series. Under routine recommendations, the doses are given at ages 12-15 months and 4-6 years. One dose of MMR is 93% effective against measles, and two doses are 97% effective.
Across the U.S., about 97% of measles cases this year have been among people who were unvaccinated or had an unknown vaccination status, according to the CDC.
The outbreaks come as studies show declining rates of MMR vaccination among kindergartners and the rampant spread of misinformation about the safety of vaccines.
Researchers from Stanford University and the Baylor College of Medicine released a study in JAMA Thursday that used modeling to estimate how many measles cases the country could see in the next 25 years under different vaccination scenarios.
At current levels, there could be more than 851,000 cases, 170,000 hospitalizations and 2,550 deaths, and measles would be endemic again, according to the models.
If MMR vaccination coverage dropped by 10%, researchers estimated there could be 11.1 million cases over 25 years. However, with a 5% increase in vaccination, there may be about 5,800 cases.
“These findings support the need to continue routine childhood vaccination at high coverage to prevent resurgence of vaccine-preventable infectious diseases in the US,” authors wrote.
A new KFF poll found about 78% of parents with children under 18 years are somewhat or very confident in the safety of MMR vaccines. Most parents have read or heard false claims about measles or MMR vaccines with the most common being that MMR vaccines cause autism, according to the poll. About 33% said they believe that false claim is probably or definitely true.
Just under half of parents (48%) know measles cases are higher than in recent years, and about the same percentage are somewhat or very worried, the poll found. Cases are at their second highest level in 25 years, according to CDC data.
Earlier this month, the AAP reached out to congressional leaders, saying the nation is “reaching a breaking point” in its ability to control the outbreaks. It urged them to unequivocally promote vaccination as the only prevention and restore cuts to vaccine-related funding and public health workers.
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
- 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
