Vaccines 2025

Texas health authorities recently reported an unusual measles outbreak with 90 confirmed cases (as of February 21), the majority occurring in children and adolescents. Most cases have been reported in Gaines County. Sixteen patients have been hospitalized, and most affected individuals are under the age of 18. This is the most severe measles outbreak in Texas in approximately 30 years. Four of the infected individuals were vaccinated, while the remainder were not.
A study published in 2021 in Scientific Reports analyzed the rise in measles cases in the United States in the post-elimination era (the U.S. declared measles eliminated in 2000), covering the period from 2001 to 2019. The study found a significant increase in both the number of measles outbreaks and the number of affected states during this period. In 2001, there were 10 outbreaks across 16 states, whereas by 2019, the number of outbreaks had risen to 22, affecting 31 states. These events were primarily linked to ‘imported’ cases from outside the U.S. and insufficient vaccination coverage within the population.
In 2024, a total of 285 measles cases have been reported across 33 different states, marking the highest number of cases since 2019.