The United States is grappling with a growing measles outbreak, with nine states reporting confirmed cases, according to multiple mainstream news outlets.
The resurgence of this highly contagious, vaccine-preventable disease has alarmed public health officials, who point to declining vaccination rates and increased travel as key factors driving the spread.
The outbreak, which has already claimed at least one life this year, underscores the persistent challenge of maintaining herd immunity in the face of rising vaccine hesitancy.
CNN and The New York Times reported that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) documented at least 164 measles cases across nine states in 2025.
These states include Alaska, California, Georgia, Kentucky, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Rhode Island, and Texas.
The largest outbreak is centered in West Texas, where the Texas Department of State Health Services reported 146 cases as of late February, including the first U.S. measles-related death since 2015—an unvaccinated child, according to The Hill and Reuters.
New Mexico has confirmed nine cases in Lea County, bordering Texas, while the remaining states have reported at least one case each, per the CDC’s updates cited by CNN.
The Washington Post highlighted that nearly 100 cases have been recorded across Texas and New Mexico alone, with Texas’s South Plains region accounting for 90 cases as of February 21.
The majority of these cases—77 in Texas—involve children under 17, many of whom are unvaccinated or have unknown vaccination status.
The New York Times noted that 16 individuals in Texas required hospitalization, reflecting the severity of some infections.
A common thread across these outbreaks, as reported by multiple sources, is the prevalence of unvaccinated individuals.
Reuters stated that 95% of Texas cases involved people who were either unvaccinated or had an unknown vaccination status, with only 4% having received one dose of the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine and none fully vaccinated with the recommended two doses.
The BBC emphasized that the Texas outbreak is concentrated in communities with low vaccination rates, including a notable Mennonite population, where religious beliefs often influence vaccine refusal.
Nationwide, vaccination rates have slipped below the 95% threshold needed to prevent measles outbreaks, a decline exacerbated since the COVID-19 pandemic, according to CNN.
The CDC reported that MMR vaccine coverage among kindergarteners dropped from 95.2% in the 2019–2020 school year to 92.7% in 2023–2024, leaving approximately 280,000 children vulnerable.
The Washington Post added that even small declines in vaccination rates can significantly increase outbreak risks, as measles can “easily cross borders” in under-vaccinated communities.
Public health experts have expressed growing concern over the resurgence of a disease declared eliminated in the U.S. in 2000—a milestone achieved through widespread vaccination efforts, as noted by The New York Times.
Dr. Amesh Adalja, an infectious disease physician quoted by the BBC, called the situation “troubling” and “completely preventable,” attributing the outbreaks to vaccine hesitancy.
CNN cited the CDC’s warning that sustained outbreaks could jeopardize the country’s measles elimination status, a fate narrowly avoided in 2019 during outbreaks in New York’s Orthodox Jewish communities.
The New York Times also contextualized the current surge against historical highs, noting that 2025’s 164 cases surpass the 58 reported in all of 2023 and approach the 285 cases across 16 outbreaks in 2024.
While significantly lower than the 1,282 cases in 2019—the highest since 1992—the rapid rise this year has experts on edge, particularly given the death in Texas.
The outbreaks coincide with heightened scrutiny of vaccination policies, intensified by the recent appointment of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a known vaccine skeptic, as U.S. Health Secretary.
The Washington Post reported that Kennedy has questioned the necessity and safety of childhood vaccines, including the MMR, despite overwhelming scientific evidence supporting their efficacy and safety.
The New York Times quoted public health experts refuting Kennedy’s claims, with Yale’s Jason Schwartz emphasizing that large-scale outbreaks like the one in Texas are becoming more frequent as vaccination rates decline.
The BBC noted reluctance among some local officials to intervene, with Albert Pilkington, CEO of Texas’s Seminole Hospital District, defending individual choice, stating, “That’s just what it means to be an American, right?”
This sentiment reflects a broader cultural divide fueling anti-vaccine sentiment, a trend the Washington Post linked to misinformation spread on social media and by some public figures.
