WASHINGTON — The United States is recording its highest number of measles cases in over three decades, according to federal health data. Record-breaking infection numbers and persistent regional outbreaks have put the country’s long-standing "measles-free" status at risk.

In 2025, the U.S. recorded more than 2,200 measles cases—the highest number in 33 years and the most since the disease was declared eliminated in the country in 2000. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows the trend is continuing into the new year. In just the first two weeks of 2026, health officials identified 171 new cases—nearly as many as the U.S. usually sees in a whole year.

Three people died from measles in 2025: an unvaccinated adult in New Mexico and two unvaccinated school-aged children in Texas. Health officials noted that these three deaths equal the total number of U.S. measles deaths from the last 25 years combined.

"Measles-Free" Status Under Review

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), an international health agency, is scheduled to conduct a formal review on April 13, 2026. They will determine if the U.S. will lose the "measles-free" status it has held for 26 years.

A country loses this status if the virus spreads continuously for a 12-month period. If the U.S. loses this status, the virus would be called "endemic," meaning it is a permanent presence in the country rather than something that only appears occasionally.

Regional Outbreaks

A major outbreak in West Texas drove much of the 2025 surge. That outbreak began exactly one year ago today, on Jan. 20, 2025. The Texas outbreak caused more than 760 infections before it ended in August.

Current outbreaks continue to grow in other regions:

  • Cases in upstate South Carolina have surpassed 550.
  • Outbreaks continue along the Utah-Arizona border.
  • Testing shows the virus in Utah matches the version found in the Texas and New Mexico outbreaks.

David Heaton of the Southwest Utah Department of Public Health confirmed that the virus found in his region matches the strain from the earlier outbreaks.

Vaccination Trends

Health officials say more than 95% of last year’s cases were in people who had not gotten both doses of the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine.

Vaccination rates among U.S. kindergartners have fallen to 92%. That is below the 95% mark needed for "herd immunity," the level of protection required to stop the virus from spreading easily through a community. This is the fifth year in a row that rates have stayed below federal targets.

Vaccine exemptions also reached a record high last year. Among parents seeking an exemption, more than one-third cited personal or philosophical beliefs. Despite recent changes to other federal vaccine recommendations, health officials noted that guidelines for the MMR vaccine have not changed.

Measles cases are also rising in other countries. Mexico recorded more than 5,900 cases in 2025, and Canada recently lost its measles-free status following a year-long outbreak.