US measles cases nearing 30-year high
The number of measles cases in the U.S. so far this year has quadrupled compared to 2024 and is nearing a 30-year high.
As of Friday, there have been 1,168 confirmed measles cases across 33 states nationwide, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Last year, the U.S. saw just 285 measles cases, CDC data shows.
The U.S. is currently on track to surpass the 1,274 cases seen in 2019, and is expected to see the highest number of cases since 1992.
The 33 states with confirmed cases include Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia and Washington.
Among the nationally confirmed cases, the CDC says 95% are among people who are unvaccinated or whose vaccination status is unknown.
Meanwhile, 2% of cases are among those who have received just one dose of the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine and 3% of cases are among those who received the required two doses, according to the CDC.
At least two school-aged children have died. Both were unvaccinated and had no known underlying conditions, according to Texas health officials said.
A third measles death was recorded in New Mexico among an unvaccinated adult who tested positive after dying, according to the New Mexico Department of Health.
An outbreak has been spreading in the western part of Texas but has slowed in the last several weeks with 742 cases so far this year, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. Nearly 100 of those cases were hospitalized.
In Texas, most cases have occurred among those who are unvaccinated or with unknown vaccination status, mirroring national trends.
The CDC currently recommends that people receive two doses of the MMR vaccine, the first at ages 12 to 15 months and the second between 4 and 6 years old. One dose is 93% effective, and two doses are 97% effective against measles, the CDC says.
However, CDC data show vaccination rates have been lagging in recent years. During the 2023 to 2024 school year, 92.7% of kindergartners received the MMR vaccine, according to data. This is lower than the 93.1% seen the previous school year and the 95.2% seen in the 2019 to 2020 school year, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
