Experts Warn: “We’re in the Middle of a Preventable Epidemic”

 

America’s Measles Crisis Deepens: Record 1,563 Cases and Rising

The United States is facing its worst measles outbreak in 25 years, with 1,563 confirmed cases reported so far in 2025, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Despite the end of a deadly outbreak in Texas earlier this year, new clusters in Ohio, Minnesota, Arizona, Utah, and South Carolina continue to drive up the numbers — and public health experts warn the situation is far from over.

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New Outbreaks Across Multiple States

Since August, the US has averaged 27 new measles cases per week, CDC data shows. Ohio and Minnesota have reported fresh surges, while over 150 unvaccinated schoolchildren in South Carolina are now under quarantine.

In the Southwest, a major outbreak straddling the Arizona–Utah border has become one of the year’s largest, with more than 90 confirmed cases (59 in Arizona and 36 in Utah).

“We still have quite a while to go with infections,” said Dr. Leisha Nolen, Utah’s state epidemiologist. “The virus is moving north through the state — it’s not over yet.”

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Vaccine Hesitancy Fuels the Surge

Public health leaders say the resurgence of measles — once declared eliminated in 2000 — is a direct result of falling vaccination rates.

“We’re seeing these outbreaks because too many people are unvaccinated,” said Dr. Scott Harris, president of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.

CDC data reveals that MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccination coverage among US kindergartners dropped to 92.5% last year — below the 95% threshold needed for herd immunity. It’s the fifth straight year that coverage has fallen, and the lowest level in decades.

In Texas, where 97% of measles cases occurred among the unvaccinated, Dr. Harris said the pattern is clear: “If vaccine skepticism weren’t growing, these outbreaks simply wouldn’t exist.”

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South Carolina on Edge

South Carolina is now battling one of the fastest-growing outbreaks in the country. Eleven cases have been confirmed this year — seven linked to a cluster in Spartanburg County, where less than 90% of students are fully vaccinated.

“Those students are being excluded from schools until it’s safe,” said Dr. Linda Bell, the state’s top epidemiologist. “Measles is so contagious that 90% of unprotected people exposed to it can become infected.”

A new case in Greenville County, South Carolina’s most populous area, is being investigated for potential links to the Spartanburg outbreak.

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Health Systems Under Pressure

The growing number of outbreaks is straining already thin local health departments.

“It’s incredibly expensive and exhausting to contain measles,” said Dr. Caitlin Rivers, director of the Center for Outbreak Response Innovation at Johns Hopkins. “Health departments are stretched to the limit — even the best-resourced ones are running on fumes.”

Despite the federal government shutdown, the CDC continues to update its measles tracker, maintaining essential surveillance data for states and hospitals. But experts believe the official tally may significantly underestimate the true scope of the outbreak — some estimates suggest as many as 5,000 actual infections nationwide.

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Federal Response and Public Trust

Critics say the Biden administration’s public health messaging (Update: per your original source, this is under the Trump and RFK Jr. HHS leadership — adjust per factual accuracy at publication) has been inconsistent, adding to confusion and mistrust. Dr. Paul Offit of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia warned that federal inaction and mixed signals about vaccination have worsened the crisis.

“We’re in the middle of a measles epidemic,” Offit said. “We need national leadership clearly telling parents: vaccinate your children — these illnesses are preventable.”

An HHS spokesperson, however, insisted that the administration remains committed to promoting vaccination, saying Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. “has been outspoken in his support for the measles vaccine and continues to push for national and state-level action.”

Still, a recent KFF poll shows declining trust in federal health leadership, with most Americans saying they disapprove of how vaccine policy has been handled.

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Bottom Line

With measles spreading across multiple states, health experts agree on one message: vaccination is the best protection. Until national MMR coverage rises back above 95%, the US will remain vulnerable to outbreaks that should have been confined to history books.