By Sriparna Roy and Siddhi Mahatole
(Reuters) -Confirmed measles cases in the U.S. reached 1,288, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed on Wednesday, the highest number since 1992.
The childhood disease was declared eliminated from the country in 2000, a status given when there has not been a continuous spread for more than a year.
There were 2,126 measles cases at the peak in 1992.
Outbreaks this year have primarily been driven by a drop in vaccination rates, particularly among children in states such as Texas and New Mexico, where coverage has fallen well below the 95% threshold required for herd immunity.
“The U.S. is at risk of losing its measles elimination status should cases continue at this rate,” said William Moss, a pediatrician at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
The country surpassed 1,000 measles cases in May. Although the spread of infection has slowed since then, it has reached surrounding states.
“It is true that the slope of the curve has flattened somewhat … but its hard to predict what patterns will play out,” Moss said.
There have been 27 outbreaks, defined as three or more related cases, reported in 2025, the CDC said.
Experts have urged public health officials to provide urgent endorsements for highly effective vaccines. The measles vaccine, first introduced in 1963, is 97% effective after two doses, according to the CDC.
Misinformation and disinformation, particularly around the safety of the measles vaccine, have also undermined confidence.
Parallel data from Johns Hopkins University’s outbreak response center, published on Friday, had also showed that measles cases in the U.S. have surpassed the previous high of 1,274 in 2019.
(Reporting by Sriparna Roy and Siddhi Mahatole in Bengaluru; Editing by Arun Koyyur and Sahal Muhammed)
