The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported that the number of measles cases in the U.S. this year has already tripled the total for 2023. As of July 25, 2024, a total of 188 measles cases have been reported in 27 jurisdictions, including Arizona, California, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York City, New York State, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
The U.S. has seen 13 measles outbreaks this year, with 65% of cases (123 of 188) being outbreak-associated. This is a significant increase compared to 2023, when only four outbreaks were reported, and 48% of cases (28 of 58) were outbreak-associated.
According to the CDC, measles is an airborne, extremely infectious, and potentially severe rash illness. Before the measles vaccine was introduced, an estimated 48,000 people were hospitalized and 400–500 people died in the United States each year.
Experts attribute this year’s uptick to two main factors: declining vaccination rates in the U.S. and a rise in measles cases worldwide. Around 85% of the people who got measles this year were either unvaccinated or had an unknown vaccination status. Many of the cases have been linked to international travel, meaning the disease was brought into the U.S. by travelers who were infected in other countries.