Measles Surge in US and Why This Represents a Bigger Issue
By Saskia V. Popescu, PhD, MPH, MA, CIC
From March 12, 2024 — The United States is currently experiencing a surge of measles cases, underscoring 2 critical issues we’re facing: gaps in vaccination and politicization of public health. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that in 2023, the US experienced a total of 58 cases. Sadly, this trend isn’t unique to the United States, as the United Kingdom has also reported clusters and global measles cases are on the rise....
Timeline of Events in New Mexico
NMDOH reported the first confirmed case of measles in New Mexico on February 11,4 and as of March 6, there were 10 total cases in the state—4 in individuals aged 4–17 years and the remaining in individuals above the age of 18.
The state officially declared an outbreak to be ongoing a few days after the first case, on February 14, after 2 more adults had reportedly tested positive for the virus that week. At the end of February, the state launched a measles information resource to provide guidance (that can be accessed at: measles.doh.nm.gov).
NMDOH Chief Medical Officer Miranda Durham, MD, noted at the time that “While measles outbreaks don't respect state lines, our response is uniquely New Mexican—comprehensive, bilingual, and accessible to all communities. We created this resource to empower New Mexicans with clear information about how vaccinations effectively protect families from measles and prevent further spread within our communities.”4,5
READ MORE: Though MMR Vaccine Remains Highly Protective Against Measles, Some Waning Immunity Can Lead to Outlier Cases
Additional Measles Outbreak Information
Earlier this week, the Texas Department of State Health Services provided an update on its own measles outbreak, noting that 159 cases had been identified thus far. In total, 22 patients had been hospitalized in western counties in the state. Gaines County has reported the highest number of cases with 107, followed by Terry County with 22 cases—most other counties remained under 10 total cases. Texas has also reported 1 death, of a school-aged child that was not vaccinated.5 (Texas's measles resource page can be accessed here: dshs.texas.gov/measles)
Texas has reported 80 cases in unvaccinated children, 74 cases in individuals with unknown vaccine status, and 5 in people who were vaccinated with at least 1 dose (typically, full vaccination requires 2 doses of the MMR vaccine). Additionally, 4 cases in Texas have been deemed associated with international travel rather than the ongoing outbreak.
Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr said in a statement on March 6 that “the measles outbreak in Texas is a call to action for all of us to reaffirm our commitment to public health. By working together—parents, healthcare providers, community leaders, and government officials, we can prevent future outbreaks and protect the health of our nation. Under my leadership, HHS is and will always be committed to radical transparency to regain the public’s trust in its health agencies.”6
There have also been cases reported in the northeastern US, including small numbers in New York City, in New Jersey, and in Pennsylvania. Alaska, California, Georgia, Kentucky, and Rhode Island have also reported isolated cases. As of late February, 93% of reported measles cases have been considered outbreak-associated. For context compared with 2024, there were 16 outbreaks reported last year, of which 69% of cases were deemed outbreak-associated.2
Earlier in March, Contagion spoke with Paul Offit, MD, the director of the Vaccine Education Center and an attending physician in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), who treated several children involved in the 1990s outbreak in Philadelphia. He discussed how outbreaks are the first sign that childhood vaccination rates are starting to decline and offered his perspective around vaccination concerns and the ongoing cases. Check out that conversation below:
