US Hits Troubling Milestone

As of July 8, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed 1,288 measles cases in 38 states. (The CDC is aware of probable measles cases still being reported, and the case count is higher.) Just halfway through the year, the case tally has already surpassed the last record since measles has been considered eliminated in the U.S. from 2019, when there were a total of 1,274 cases.

About 13% of the cases have required hospitalization in the U.S., with 92% of the cases in the unvaccinated or with unknown vaccination status. While most of the cases have been in children aged 5 to 19 (36%), those 20 and over came close behind with 34% and those under 5 years old with 29%.

This year, 27 outbreaks were reported, and 88% of confirmed cases are outbreak-associated. For comparison, 16 outbreaks were reported during 2024 and 69% of cases were outbreak-associated.

With the largest of the outbreaks, the Texas Department of State Health Services (TDSHS) reported that measles cases grew to 753 on Tuesday. One percent, or fewer than 10 of the confirmed cases, are estimated to be actively infectious since their rash onset date was less than a week ago. Based on the most recent data, TDSHS has identified Lamar as the only county still experiencing an outbreak. The state now has 36 counties that have reported cases and has reported 39 cases outside of the outbreak.

For the past 25 years, measles has been considered eliminated in the U.S. because it has not continuously spread over a yearlong period. Measles would have to keep spreading through January 20 of next year for the U.S. to lose its elimination status, NBC News reported.

The resurgence of measles can be attributed, in part, to declining vaccination rates both globally and nationally. During the 2023-24 school year, less than 93% of kindergartners in the U.S. received the recommended two doses of the MMR vaccine, down from 95% during the 2019-20 school year.  

 As a result of the current outbreak, more people are now getting the measles vaccine. Between the beginning of the year and March 16, Texas gave at least 173,000 measles doses compared to 158,000 in the same time period last year, the BBC reported.