US Sees Sharp Increase in Measles Cases–CDC
This surge occurs within just a few weeks, far exceeding the long-term annual average of about 180 cases since measles was declared eliminated in 2000. The current total does not include last year’s record of 2,276 cases.
South Carolina is experiencing its largest outbreak in recent memory, while multiple other states report ongoing cases. Confirmed cases span Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin, as stated by reports.
Health officials note that most outbreaks occur in communities with low vaccination coverage.
“Because it’s such an infectious virus, whenever you see measles outbreaks, it in effect highlights areas of the country or communities in which vaccination rates are low,” said Demetre Daskalakis, former head of the CDC branch tracking diseases including measles.
CDC data indicate that the percentage of kindergartners vaccinated with the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine has fallen from 95% in 2019 to below 93% in 2025. Public health experts note that herd immunity usually requires roughly 95% vaccination coverage to curb the virus’s spread.
“I think that this highlights that our defenses are down,” Daskalakis added, emphasizing that declining vaccination rates leave about 300,000 kindergarteners unprotected.
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