Expand / Collapse search
☰

US measles cases hit 30-year high, experts say

By Miracle Gross
Published  July 8, 2025 5:01pm EDT
Health
FOX 5 DC

The Brief

    • The U.S. has reported 1,277 measles cases so far in 2025 — the highest count since the early 1990s, according to Johns Hopkins University.
    • Public health officials are urging vaccination as case numbers climb across multiple states.
    • George Washington University faculty are available for commentary and public health insight.

WASHINGTON - According to the Johns Hopkins University Center for Outbreak Response Innovation, 1,277 measles cases have been confirmed in the United States as of July 5 — marking the highest number reported in 33 years.

What we know:

Measles is a highly contagious viral disease that can lead to serious complications, particularly in unvaccinated children and immunocompromised individuals.

When were measles cases last this high?

Dig deeper:

The last time the U.S. recorded measles numbers close to today's levels was in 1992, when more than 2,200 cases were reported nationwide. That spike was part of a larger outbreak spanning from 1989 to 1991, during which over 55,000 cases were reported and more than 100 people died — most of them young children.

The CDC later attributed that epidemic to low vaccination coverage, particularly in underserved communities. In response, a major federal push expanded access to the MMR vaccine, including school-entry requirements and community-based immunization campaigns.

By the year 2000, measles was declared eliminated from the United States — meaning there was no longer continuous domestic transmission. But experts warned at the time that imported cases and declining vaccine confidence could reverse that progress.

HealthNews