Measles Cases Rising in 33 States: How to Protect Yourself During the Outbreak

• With 1,168 confirmed cases in 34 jurisdictions, the U.S. measles outbreak has surpassed the entire number of cases in 2024.
• As experts continue to recommend inoculation against the disease, the CDC has released an updated travel advice.
• Those who are unable to receive vaccinations because of medical procedures or weakened immune systems are protected by high vaccination rates.

As the measles outbreak spreads due to persistent reluctance and false information about vaccines, more states have reported cases.

In 33 states, including Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York City, New York State, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed 1,168 measles cases as of June 5Trusted Source. New York City has also recorded cases of measles.

That exceeds the 285 measles cases that were recorded in 2024 as a whole.

778 of the 2025 cases that were reported involved young individuals and children under the age of twenty.

According to CDC officials, 17 distinct outbreaks in the US are responsible for 89% of infections.

Hospitalization has been necessary for 137 measles cases thus far.

95% of all cases, according to current CDC estimates, occur in individuals who are either unvaccinated or whose vaccination status is unclear.

As of June 3, 742 cases of measles have been documented in West Texas, which is thought to be the epicenter of the outbreak.

With 81 cases, New Mexico had the second-highest total.

In West Texas, two unvaccinated children have passed away from measles, and in Lea County, New Mexico, the death of an unvaccinated individual was verified.

Measles is expanding outside of the United States amid growing alarm over the U.S. outbreak.

According to a World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF research, over 127,000 cases of measles were reported in Europe in 2024.

the is twice as many as were counted in the region in 2023, which encompasses 53 nations in Central Asia and Europe.

Additionally, it’s the most cases reported since 1997.

38 deaths were reported in the region, and almost half of the cases in Europe required hospitalization.

Nearly 360,000 measles cases were reported globally in 2024, according to the data.

The CDC issued an updated travel advisory for U.S. residents and healthcare professionals due to the worldwide measles outbreak.

The effectiveness of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine and the significance of receiving a complete measles vaccination prior to overseas travel were both stressed by the agency.

Travel hubs like airports and train stations, public transit like airplanes and trains, tourist destinations, and large, crowded events are just a few of the places where travelers can contract measles, according to the CDC.

The CDC recommended that travelers keep an eye out for any symptoms for three weeks following their return from vacation.

reliable source for measles. The organization also advised doctors to vaccinate anyone traveling abroad who is six months of age or older and does not have proof of vaccination or immunity.

Anne Liu, MD, a clinical associate professor of pediatrics, immunology, and allergy at Stanford University, stated that measles is a highly contagious illness that has the potential to become fatal.

“Those who are immunocompromised and those who have not received vaccinations should be extremely concerned about the expanding scope of this outbreak.”

Vaccines stop the spread of measles.

Measles is one of the most contagious diseases in the world, according to experts, which explains why it is spreading so swiftly.

“It is incredibly contagious.” According to doctor Danelle Fisher, MD, of Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California, “it’s the most contagious disease we’ve ever seen.”

According to her, measles patients can spread the illness four days before symptoms appear and seven to ten days after they do.

The sole defense against measles, according to infectious disease specialist William Schaffner, MD, a professor of medicine at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, is vaccination.

Measles can be avoided with vaccination. No additional options exist.

Despite its recent media attention, vitamin A cannot stop measles, Schaffner told Healthline.

Fisher concurred. “Those who are fully vaccinated or have had the disease don’t have much to worry about,” she said. She assured Healthline, “You won’t get sick and you won’t spread it.”

However, those who have not received a vaccination or whose immunity has declined over time are much more vulnerable.

According to Fisher, individuals in these groups ought to think of measles similarly to how the world perceived COVID-19 in 2020, prior to the development of immunizations to prevent that illness.

According to Fisher, those who fall into these categories should think of measles in the same way that people thought of COVID-19 in 2020, before there were any immunizations to prevent it.

According to Fisher, the present outbreak would most likely spread throughout the world in a matter of weeks if there were no vaccine to prevent measles.

“This isn’t spreading any further because of vaccinations,” she stated. Fisher advised parents to make sure their kids have gotten the appropriate vaccinations.

Additionally, she advised individuals who are not vaccinated or who are uncertain of their immunization status to get vaccinated.

She claimed that in addition to protecting an individual, the vaccines also protect adults and children who are unable to receive them because of immune system compromises or medical treatments.

“It is our collective responsibility to safeguard the most susceptible members of our community,” Fisher stated. Schaffner concurred.

“There are a lot of immunocompromised people and children among us.

They would become quite ill if they got measles,” he warned.

“By getting vaccinated and forming a protective “cocoon” around them, we all shield them from the virus, making it more difficult for it to find them.”