- The U.S. is nearing the total number of measles cases reported in 2025, which was the worst year for the disease in over three decades, with 2,260 confirmed cases across 44 states and D.C. by July.
- The surge in infections is primarily affecting young, unvaccinated children and teenagers, with medical professionals attributing the rise to vaccine hesitancy.
- Measles infections can lead to severe health complications, including life-threatening brain swelling, pneumonia, and ear infections, though no deaths have been reported this year.
- Significant outbreaks have been recorded in South Carolina (997 cases), Utah (707 cases), and Texas (182 cases), states where vaccine coverage is below the 95 percent required for community immunity.
- The escalating number of cases threatens the U.S.'s measles elimination status, held since 2000, with a meeting scheduled for November to assess this status.
IN FULL
US measles cases set to surpass last year’s record high – and it’s only July
