Pulmonology Advisor The U.S. recorded more than 2,000 measles cases in 2025, the nation’s highest yearly total in decades, health officials report.
As of Dec. 30, 2,065 measles cases had been confirmed nationwide, according to the latest data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The last time the United States saw more cases in a single year was 1992, before doctors routinely recommended two doses of the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine for children, CNN reported.
Several large outbreaks are still spreading, including one in upstate South Carolina and another along the Arizona-Utah border, raising concerns that the U.S. could lose its measles elimination status, which it has held since 2000.
Measles is one of the world’s most contagious diseases, but vaccination helps keep it in check. One dose of the MMR vaccine is 93% effective, while two doses are 97% effective, according to the CDC.
Despite that protection, vaccination rates have dropped. During the 2024-25 school year, 92.5% of kindergarteners had received the MMR vaccine, which is below the 95% coverage public health experts say is needed to head off outbreaks.