U.S. Sees Highest Measles Case Count in Decades as Outbreaks Grow

Key TakeawaysThe U.S. reported 2,065 measles cases in 2025, the most in decadesLow vaccination rates are allowing outbreaks to spreadOngoing outbreaks could threaten the nation’s measles elimination status.MONDAY, Jan. 5, 2026 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. recorded more than 2,000 measles cases in 2025, the nation’s highest yearly total in decades, health officials report.As of Dec. 30, 2,065 measles cases had been confirmed nationwide, according to the latest data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).The last time the United States saw more cases in a single year was 1992, before doctors routinely recommended two doses of the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine for children, CNN reported.Several large outbreaks are still spreading, including one in upstate South Carolina and another along the Arizona-Utah border, raising concerns that the U.S. could lose its measles elimination status, which it has held since 2000.Measles is one of the world’s most contagious diseases, but vaccination helps keep it in check. One dose of the MMR vaccine is 93% effective, while two doses are 97% effective, according to the CDC.Despite that protection, vaccination rates have dropped. During the 2024-25 school year, 92.5% of kindergarteners had received the MMR vaccine, which is below the 95% coverage public health experts say is needed to head off outbreaks.One of the largest outbreaks of 2025 began in West Texas and spread into New Mexico. It ended in August after hundreds of cases and the deaths of two children and one adult, who were unvaccinated.In South Carolina, health officials confirmed a measles outbreak in October that has grown to nearly 180 cases. At least 20 new cases have been reported since late December, and nearly 300 people have been in quarantine after being exposed.“We know that a large number of our cases are those who we’ve placed in quarantine because of known exposures,” Dr. Linda Bell, the state’s epidemiologist, told CNN.She added that the virus continues to spread in homes, schools and churches.By year’s end, another outbreak along the Utah-Arizona border had grown more than 350 cases combined.Health officials are also watching developments beyond U.S. borders.In November, Canada lost its measles elimination status following a major outbreak, according to the Pan American Health Organization, which works with the World Health Organization.“It’s important to say that all the other 34 countries in the region, they keep their certification as measles-free,” PAHO/WHO Director Dr. Jarbas Barbosa said at the time.U.S. officials warn that genetic links between outbreaks in different states suggest measles will continue to spread.“The trajectory that we’re looking at now is that we do anticipate more cases well into January,” Bell said. “What that means for us nationally in terms of how they are defining our designation in this country as having eliminated measles is unclear.”More informationThe U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on the current status of measles.SOURCE: CNN, Dec. 31, 2025.What This Means For YouMeasles spreads fast, but vaccination works, experts say. Staying up to date can protect people from contracting measles..Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

U.S. Sees Highest Measles Case Count in Decades as Outbreaks Grow

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