Fast Facts
U.S. Cases in 2025
Total Cases:
935
Age Distribution:
- Under 5 years: 285 (30%)
- 5–19 years: 353 (38%)
- 20+ years: 284 (30%)
- Age unknown: 13 (1%)
Vaccination Status:
- Unvaccinated or Unknown: 96%
- One MMR dose: 2%
- Two MMR doses: 2%
Measles Cases Surge to 935 in US Amid Ongoing Outbreaks and Global Spike
US outbreaks account for 93% of cases, North Dakota sees first case since 2011, and the Americas Region reports over 2,300 infections.
Yearly measles cases as of May 1, 2025
Image credits: Unsplash
As of May 2, 2025, the CDC has reported 935 confirmed measles cases across 30 US jurisdictions, marking a significant surge compared to recent years and raising concern over the intensifying outbreaks. Twelve outbreaks, defined as three or more related cases, have been identified in 2025 so far, with 93 percent of all confirmed cases linked to these clusters. This reflects a more concentrated pattern of transmission compared to 2024, when 16 outbreaks occurred but only 69 percent of cases were outbreak-associated.1
The age distribution of measles cases in the United States remains relatively balanced, with 30 percent occurring in children under five years old, 38 percent in individuals aged five to nineteen, and another 30 percent among adults over twenty. The overall hospitalization rate is 13 percent, but the highest burden falls on children under five, 23 percent of whom have required hospital care. There have also been three confirmed measles-related deaths in 2025.1
Vaccination status continues to play a critical role in the spread of measles. An overwhelming 96 percent of all confirmed cases were in individuals who were either unvaccinated or had unknown vaccination histories. Only 2 percent had received the full two-dose series of the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine, which is known to be safe and about 97 percent effective. National MMR coverage among kindergartners has declined from 95.2 percent in the 2019 to 2020 school year to 92.7 percent in 2023 to 2024, leaving approximately 280,000 kindergartners at risk for infection.1
On May 2, 2025, North Dakota Health and Human Services confirmed the state's first measles case since 2011. The case involves an unvaccinated child from Williams County who likely contracted the virus from an out-of-state visitor. The child is currently isolating at home, and health officials are notifying potentially exposed individuals and advising unvaccinated people about quarantine protocols.2
While measles is highly contagious and can be serious, especially for young children and people with weakened immune systems, the overall risk to the general public in North Dakota remains low due to relatively high vaccination rates. North Dakota currently reports an 81 percent MMR vaccination rate among toddlers and 90 percent among kindergarteners, below the 95 percent threshold typically needed for community protection.2
Health officials are encouraging residents to check their immunization records and update them as necessary. Vaccines are available through clinics and the Vaccines for Children program for eligible families.2
In addition to the situation in the United States, the Americas Region has reported 2,325 confirmed measles cases and four deaths as of epidemiological week 16 in 2025. This represents an eleven-fold increase compared to the same period in 2024. The majority of cases have been reported in Canada, with 1,069 cases, the United States with 800 cases, and Mexico with 421 cases. Additional cases have been reported in Argentina with 22, Belize with 7, Brazil with 5, and Bolivia with 1. The surge is largely driven by outbreaks within vaccine-hesitant communities across several countries, with cases rising sharply in epidemiological week 3 and peaking in week 14.3
The most affected age groups in the Americas Region are individuals aged 10 to 19 years at 24 percent, children aged 1 to 4 years at 22 percent, and adults aged 20 to 29 years at 19 percent. Vaccination data indicates that 30 percent of confirmed cases were unvaccinated, while vaccination status was unknown or missing in 65 percent. Canada is currently experiencing its highest number of annual measles cases since the disease was declared eliminated there in 1998, with 83 percent of this year’s cases linked to a multi-jurisdictional outbreak among unvaccinated populations.3
References
1. Measles Outbreak – April 25, 2025. Texas Department of State Health Services press release. Updated May 2, 2025. Accessed May 6, 2025. https://www.dshs.texas.gov/news-alerts/measles-outbreak-2025
2. NDHHS. First case of measles reported in North Dakota since 2011. May 2, 2025. Accessed May 6, 2025. https://www.hhs.nd.gov/news/first-case-measles-reported-north-dakota-2011
3. PAHO. Epidemiological Update. Measles in the Americas Region. May 2, 2025. Accessed May 6, 2025. Chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.paho.org/sites/default/files/2025-05/2025-may-2-phe-epi-update-measles-final.pdf
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