US Measles Cases Reach 847, Threatening Elimination Status

The United States’ measles outbreak continues to expand, with at least 847 confirmed or probable cases now reported nationwide according to the latest data. This marks a significant increase from previous reports and strengthens concerns that the country could lose its measles elimination status if the outbreak persists beyond early 2026.

Health officials have identified 759 cases linked to active outbreaks and 88 isolated cases typically associated with international travel. The current surge represents the second-highest number of confirmed measles cases since the disease was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000, and experts fear this trend could continue.

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Texas Outbreak Expected to Last a Year

The outbreak in Texas, which began in late January with two cases reported in rural Gaines County, has escalated dramatically to include at least 597 confirmed infections across 25 counties. According to The New York Times, Texas health officials are now predicting that the outbreak will likely persist for a full year, suggesting the total caseload could continue to rise substantially.

The vast majority of Texas cases—575 individuals—are unvaccinated children and adults, highlighting the central role that vaccination gaps have played in enabling the virus to spread rapidly. The human toll has been significant, with at least 62 people hospitalized and two unvaccinated children having died: a school-age child in February and an 8-year-old girl in April, representing the first measles deaths in the United States in a decade.

From its origins in Gaines County, the virus has now spilled into neighboring states, with genetic sequencing confirming connections to cases in New Mexico, Kansas, and Oklahoma. New Mexico has reported 63 cases across four counties, with an unvaccinated resident of Lea County having died after testing positive for the virus, though officials have not yet confirmed measles as the cause of death.

Multiple Outbreaks Occurring Simultaneously

While the Texas-centered outbreak accounts for the majority of cases, several other states are battling their own measles clusters. Ohio is managing two separate outbreaks: 10 cases in Ashtabula County linked to an international traveler, and 14 cases in Knox County connected to an earlier case in that area.

Pennsylvania has declared an outbreak of five linked cases in Erie County, while Indiana has confirmed six cases in Allen County that officials say have “no known links to outbreaks in other states.” Michigan recently announced an outbreak of three cases in Montcalm County, which health officials have linked to “a large, ongoing outbreak in Ontario, Canada” that has sickened 925 people since mid-October.

According to Today.com, measles infections have now been reported in 24 states this year, including Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Vermont, and Washington. With cases spread across half the nation’s states, the outbreak now has a truly national footprint.

Vaccination Rates at the Center of Crisis

Public health officials point to declining vaccination rates as the primary driver of the current surge. For years, Gaines County in Texas has had low childhood vaccination rates, with particularly low coverage in some school districts. The Loop Independent School District in Gaines County reported that only 46 percent of kindergarten students had received their MMR vaccine in the 2023 school year, down from 82 percent in 2019.

“As the anti-vaccine movement grows, the virus has reemerged,” notes Today.com. “Parents across the country have been withholding their children from measles vaccination,” adds Dr. William Schaffner, professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.

According to the CDC, MMR vaccine coverage among kindergarteners has fallen below the 95% target needed to prevent outbreaks, with even lower rates in some communities. This trend, combined with increased global measles activity, has created “pockets of susceptible people across the country where measles can enter and spread,” Dr. Schaffner explains.

The geographic distribution of cases mirrors these vaccination gaps. While the MMR vaccination rate in Lea County, New Mexico, is relatively high among children and teens at 94 percent, the rate among adults is much lower—only 55 percent have received both shots, according to local health officials. Adults make up more than half of reported cases in New Mexico.

As the outbreak continues to grow and health officials work to contain it, the message from public health experts remains consistent: vaccination is the most effective way to protect individuals and communities from this highly contagious and potentially serious disease.

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