Measles, Disease
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The U.S. has hit an unwelcome milestone in measles cases this year. The CDC is reporting 1,288 cases across the country. The disease was declared eliminated 25 years ago.
Measles cases in the United States have reached their highest number in more than 30 years, according to new federal data published Wednesday.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday tallied the highest number of US measles cases since the disease was declared eliminated a quarter-century ago, just as a key Senate committee split the vote to advance President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the public health agency.
Already in 2025, the United States has reported more measles cases than in any full year since the early '90s, according to federal data. And that record-setting case count has been driven by a massive outbreak that began in Texas.
Halfway through 2025, the US’s total annual measles cases have reached a level not seen in more than three decades.
Falling vaccination rates could lead to the return of previously eliminated diseases, and many more people will be at risk of catching those diseases, including infants too young to get the shots, people who are immunocompromised and the elderly.