Once declared eliminated from the US, measles cases hit six-year high amid drop in vaccinations

Measles cases in the United States have already reached a six-year high this year, data from Johns Hopkins University’s outbreak response centre showed, as a drop in vaccination rates causes a surge in the disease once eliminated from the country.

The US had 1,277 cases of measles, the data showed on Friday, surpassing the last record of 1,274 cases from 2019.

Measles was declared eliminated from the country in 2000, meaning there were no cases spreading within the country that year. But the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continued identifying individual cases tied to international travel, and outbreaks have occurred every year since elimination.

This year’s surge, one of the worst outbreaks in the US, has primarily been driven by a drop in vaccination rates, particularly among children in states such as Texas and New Mexico, where coverage has fallen well below the 95 per cent threshold required for herd immunity.

Johns Hopkins’ data showed 790 confirmed cases in Texas - the epicentre of the current measles outbreak - while 95 cases were reported in New Mexico. Data from the CDC does not yet reflect the record as it is updated weekly on Wednesdays. As of July 1, a total of 1,267 confirmed measles cases and three deaths were reported by 38 jurisdictions, according to the CDC.

[ Number of measles cases 50 times higher last year than in 2023, data showsOpens in new window ]

Last week’s CDC data showed there has been a slowdown in spread of the infection, but it has spread to surrounding states.

There have been 27 outbreaks reported in 2025, and 88 per cent of confirmed cases are outbreak-associated, according to CDC’s data.

Experts have urged public health officials to provide urgent endorsement for highly effective vaccines. The measles vaccine is 97 per cent effective after two doses, according to the CDC.