The cases were reported across 38 states nationwide, with 753 in Texas alone, according to the CDC.
Los Angeles – The United States is experiencing its worst measles outbreak in over three decades, with 1,288 confirmed cases reported so far in 2025, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
This marks the highest number of cases since 1992, when the U.S. recorded 2,126 infections. The disease, which was officially declared eliminated in the U.S. in 2000, is once again raising serious public health concerns.
Of the cases confirmed this year, 13% required hospitalization. Measles has now spread across 38 states, with Texas accounting for more than half of the total — 753 cases.
According to the CDC, 27 outbreaks have been reported in 2025. A staggering 88% of all confirmed cases are linked to these outbreaks. Moreover, 92% of individuals infected were either unvaccinated or had unknown vaccination status.
Measles is a highly contagious airborne virus that spreads through coughing, sneezing, or even breathing near an infected person. It causes fever, cough, runny nose, and a distinctive full-body rash. While it can affect people of all ages, children are most at risk, especially those under five.
“Measles is not just a harmless childhood illness,” the CDC warns. “It can lead to serious complications, including pneumonia, brain swelling, and death.”
Before the introduction of the measles vaccine in 1963, the U.S. saw nearly 48,000 measles-related hospitalizations and between 400 and 500 deaths annually. Globally, before widespread vaccination, measles killed an estimated 2.6 million people every year.
Despite the availability of a safe and effective vaccine, measles continues to claim lives worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that in 2023, 107,500 people — mostly children under five — died from measles.
Health experts stress that vaccination remains the most effective way to prevent infection and stop the spread of the disease.
“Measles is entirely preventable,” said a CDC spokesperson. “But it requires a community-wide commitment to immunization.”
