Measles Outbreak Update: Infections Surge by Triple Digits

Measles infections in the United States have surged past 700 this year as federal and state health authorities grapple with one of the most significant outbreaks in decades.

Texas remains at the epicenter, reporting 541 cases, with officials warning that lapses in vaccination and weakened public health infrastructure are fueling the disease's spread.

Why It Matters

Measles was eliminated in the U.S. in 2000, meaning it was no longer spreading continuously. Most new cases came from international travel. However, in recent years, cases have increased because fewer people are vaccinated.

This year, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says 97 percent of confirmed measles cases were in unvaccinated or unknown-vaccinated people.

What To Know

As of April 10, the U.S. has recorded 105 more measles cases than the previous week, bringing the total for 2025 to 712 confirmed cases across 25 jurisdictions. That marks a sharp increase compared to the 285 cases reported in 2024.

Texas has been hit especially hard. The state's Department of State Health Services (DSHS) confirmed two deaths in unvaccinated children with no underlying health conditions. Both lived in West Texas, where most of the state's cases have occurred. Gaines County alone has reported 355 cases, up from 328 earlier this week.

"This is one of the worst outbreaks we've seen in the United States in years," Dr. Adam Ratner, a pediatric infectious disease specialist in New York, told CNN. "The confirmed case numbers are almost certainly an underestimate of the actual number of cases."

Other states with active outbreaks—defined as three or more related cases—include Ohio, New Mexico, Indiana, Kansas and Oklahoma. The virus is spreading primarily in under-vaccinated communities.

The CDC says 93 percent of measles cases nationwide are tied to outbreaks. Seven have been reported this year, with Texas accounting for the largest cluster. In response, the CDC has sent teams to assist with the outbreak, and more personnel are expected following formal requests from Texas officials.

Children under five make up about 32 percent of the national cases. Of those, 20 percent have been hospitalized. Among children and teens ages 5 to 19, the hospitalization rate is 7 percent.

Health officials are also facing growing resistance to vaccination, fueled partly by inconsistent messaging from political leaders. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has a history of vaccine skepticism, recently reversed course by endorsing the MMR vaccine.

What People Are Saying

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said earlier this week: "The most effective way to prevent the spread of measles is the MMR vaccine."

Timothy Holtz, a professor at the Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University, wrote in a Newsweek op-ed: "Kennedy was confirmed at the onset of the worst measles outbreak in the U.S. in decades, and he stumbled immediately. His failure to use the platform to promote a national vaccination campaign for the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine—which has been proven to be among the safest vaccines available—is nothing short of irrational."

What Happens Next

Local health officials and experts predict the outbreak will continue for several months, possibly up to a year. With declining childhood vaccination rates nationwide and multiple state outbreaks, public health officials remain concerned about maintaining the country's measles elimination status.