The number of U.S. measles cases has surpassed 700, with Indiana joining the growing list of states experiencing active outbreaks. Recent reports show Texas accounting for a significant share of new infections, tallying dozens of new cases, and a third measles-related death has been confirmed.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. claimed in a televised Cabinet meeting Thursday that measles cases are plateauing nationally. However, health experts warn that the virus continues to spread predominantly among unvaccinated individuals, prompting the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to redeploy a response team to West Texas.
As of last week, the United States has recorded over double the number of measles cases compared to the total count for all of 2024, with Texas leading the outbreaks. Texas reported a startling 541 cases, according to the latest updates.
Tragically, the Texas outbreak has included the deaths of two unvaccinated elementary school-age children from measles-related complications, occurring near the epicenter of the outbreak in rural West Texas. The third reported fatality was an adult in New Mexico who was also unvaccinated.
In addition to Texas and New Mexico, several other states are facing active outbreaks, which are defined as having three or more cases. These states include Indiana, Kansas, Ohio, and Oklahoma.
The ongoing multistate outbreak underscores public health specialists’ concerns that the virus may take hold in other communities across the U.S. Many of these communities are experiencing low vaccination rates, and experts fear that the spread could persist for an extended period, potentially lasting up to a year.
Internationally, the World Health Organization has linked cases reported in Mexico to the Texas outbreak, reinforcing the idea that measles knows no borders.
Measles is caused by a highly contagious virus that spreads through the air, easily transmitting from person to person when an infected individual breathes, sneezes, or coughs. Fortunately, measles is preventable through vaccination and had been considered eliminated from the U.S. prior to 2000.
Texas and New Mexico have been particularly hard-hit. The outbreak in Texas first emerged in late January, with state health officials reporting an additional 36 new cases as of Friday. This brought the state’s cumulative total to 541 cases spread over 22 counties, the majority of which are located in West Texas.
At least 56 Texans have been hospitalized as a result of the outbreak. Health officials estimate that approximately 5% of confirmed cases are still actively infectious.
A staggering 65% of Texas’ measles cases are concentrated in Gaines County, which has a population of around 22,892. The outbreak initially began to spread within a close-knit, undervaccinated Mennonite community, where 355 cases have been reported since late January—accounting for over 1% of the county’s entire population.
The latest confirmed death in Texas involved an 8-year-old child who had no known underlying health conditions. Health officials stated the child died due to what the attending physician described as measles pulmonary failure, following another tragic death of a 6-year-old from measles complications reported in late February.
New Mexico has also been affected, with officials announcing two new cases recently, bringing the state’s total to 58. Most of the cases are clustered in Lea County, while two cases are reported in Eddy County and one in Chaves County. Genetic testing has confirmed that these cases are linked to the ongoing outbreak in Texas.
On March 6, New Mexico reported its first measles-related death, attributed to an adult case.
In Kansas, health officials confirmed a total of 32 cases across eight counties in the state’s southwest region. As of Wednesday, the confirmed cases revealed that Finney and Ford counties are now included in the tally, as these are major population centers there. Haskell County has the highest incidence with eight cases, followed by Stevens County with seven, Kiowa County with six, and the remaining counties reporting five or fewer cases each.
The state’s first measles case was identified in Stevens County on March 13, and officials stated it is connected to the outbreaks in Texas and New Mexico based on genetic testing, although they have yet to determine the initial source of exposure.
Oklahoma’s measles count grew by two on Friday, bringing the total to 12 confirmed and probable cases. Nine have been confirmed as cases, and three are still under investigation. The confirmed measles exposures were noted in Tulsa and Rogers counties.
In Ohio, 20 measles cases had been confirmed as of Thursday. The largest cluster, comprising 11 cases, is located in Ashtabula County near Cleveland, while Knox County reported seven cases, and two other counties logged one case each. Notably, Ohio’s count does not include cases involving non-residents, according to a state health department spokesperson.
A separate outbreak in Knox County linked to an unvaccinated adult who interacted with an international traveler has infected 14 individuals, according to the local health department’s news release. This follows a 2022 measles outbreak in central Ohio that saw 85 individuals fall ill.
In Indiana, six linked cases of measles have been confirmed in Allen County, located in the northeast region of the state. Among these, four are unvaccinated minors and two adults, whose vaccination status remains undisclosed. Health officials reported that there is no known connection to other ongoing outbreaks; the first case was documented on April 7.
Additional measles cases have been reported in several other states, including Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Vermont, and Washington.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) characterizes an outbreak as three or more related measles cases. As of Friday, the CDC counted seven clusters deemed outbreaks for 2025.
Historically, many cases and outbreaks in the U.S. can be traced back to individuals who contracted the virus abroad. These infections tend to spread more easily in communities that maintain low vaccination rates. In 2019, the country recorded a total of 1,274 measles cases, while the current count for 2025 stands at 712.
Amid the surge of measles cases, many people are asking whether a measles booster shot is necessary. The best preventive measure remains the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. The CDC recommends that children receive the first MMR shot between the ages of 12 and 15 months, followed by a second dose between 4 and 6 years old.
Individuals identified as being at high risk of infection, who received vaccinations many years ago, may want to consider getting a booster if they’re living in areas experiencing outbreaks, according to Scott Weaver from the Global Virus Network. This includes family members of individuals who have measles, alongside those particularly vulnerable to respiratory diseases due to pre-existing medical conditions.
Generally, adults with “presumptive evidence of immunity” do not require additional measles vaccinations, as per the CDC. They can include individuals with documentation of adequate vaccination, lab-confirmed past infection, or those born before 1957, who were likely infected naturally.
To assess immunity levels, a doctor can order an MMR titer, a lab test that checks for measles antibodies. However, experts do not always recommend such testing, and many health insurance plans may not provide coverage.
Receiving another MMR shot poses no harm if there are concerns about immunity waning, the CDC clarifies. Those with records of having been administered a live measles vaccine in the 1960s don’t need revaccination, but individuals immunized before 1968 with an ineffective killed virus vaccine should undergo at least one additional dose, especially if there’s uncertainty regarding the type of vaccine they received.
Symptoms of measles typically emerge in three stages. Initially, the virus infects the respiratory tract before disseminating throughout the body. Symptoms include high fever, runny nose, cough, red, watery eyes, and a distinctive rash.
The rash generally manifests three to five days after initial symptoms, evolving from flat red spots on the face to coverage of the neck, trunk, arms, legs, and feet. Upon the appearance of the rash, fever can jump above 104 degrees, according to the CDC.
While most children will recover from measles, the infection can lead to severe complications including pneumonia, blindness, brain swelling, and potentially death.
Since there is no specific treatment for measles, doctors primarily focus on symptom relief, prevention of complications, and ensuring patient comfort throughout the illness.
The significance of maintaining high vaccination rates cannot be overemphasized. In communities where vaccination rates exceed 95%, pathogens like measles struggle to spread efficiently. This phenomenon is known as herd immunity.
Unfortunately, childhood vaccination rates have dipped nationwide since the COVID-19 pandemic. Increasingly, parents are seeking religious or personal conscience waivers to exempt their children from receiving mandatory vaccinations.
The U.S. has witnessed a concerning rise in measles cases in 2024, highlighted by an outbreak in Chicago that resulted in over 60 individuals falling ill.
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