Measles outbreak cases are increasing in the US with confirmed infections in at least five states. Measles outbreaks have been reported in Alaska, Georgia, New York City, Rhode Island and Texas, mostly in people who were not vaccinated against measles.
The Texas Department of State Health Services reports a measles outbreak first reported in Gaines County, Texas, has doubled to 48 cases since the first case was recorded in early February 2025. The state health department says it expects more cases to be reported in Gaines County and surrounding areas.
Among the 48 cases, 13 have been hospitalized.
All of the cases are in unvaccinated people living in Gaines County, which borders New Mexico, CNNreported . Two of the cases are in adults 18 and older, while the remaining cases are in children and teens.
There were 285 cases of measles outbreak reported in the U.S. last year, the most since 2019, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This year, cases have been identified in Texas, Alaska, New Mexico, Georgia, Rhode Island and New York City.
Health officials have urged parents to vaccinate children who have not yet received the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) shot. The CDC recommends that children get two doses, with the first dose at 12 to 15 months of age and the second dose between 4 and 6 years of age. One dose is 93 percent effective and two doses are 97 percent effective in preventing the disease.
Vaccination rates have lagged in the U.S., with just 93 percent of kindergarten-age children receiving certain routine vaccines, including the MMR vaccine, for the 2022-23 school year.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has set a target that at least 95% of kindergartners receive two doses of the MMR vaccine, the threshold needed to help prevent outbreaks of the highly contagious disease. The U.S. has now failed to meet that threshold for four straight years.
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