Reading · Friendly Neighbor Epidemiologist

Welp, measles continues to climb. (boo! hiss!) Measles in the US is now ~1300 cases to date - and that’s only the confirmed cases. Because measles is so contagious (every person infected with measles can infect 10-12 others), that number is likely a LOT higher.

To put this in perspective, let’s look at 2025. For ALL of 2025, there were 2,283 confirmed cases - total. Now in 2026, we are already nearly half of that, and it’s barely March. 93% of cases are among unvaccinated (or vaccine status unknown) individuals and 78% are in children/adolescents.

Measles Cases and Outbreaks | Measles (Rubeola) | CDC

Geographically, certain states seem to be hit hard so far. I’m sure you’ve heard of the Texas and South Carolina outbreaks. But, have you heard about Utah and Florida? I hadn’t heard much about those states! It goes to show that measles can increase ‘under-the-radar’ rapidly among unvaccinated populations. In 2026, Utah has the most new measles cases of any state except South Carolina. State-level immunization coverage is below national averages and definitely below the herd immunity rates needed to control measles. Of the 358+ measles cases since June 2025, only 8-10% were vaccinated. One pediatrician in Utah stressed how serious measles can be with kids being “very, very ill” with high fevers, severe coughing and pneumonia.

In Florida, the childhood vaccination rates have declined over recent years and is now 89% (under the 95% herd immunity rate). Among younger children, only 76% are fully vaccinated (a massive drop from 86% a decade ago).

Let’s compare the above map to the % vaccinated populations.

Measles is the most infectious disease in the world.
9 out of 10 people will become infected with measles if exposed and not protected through vaccines. Measles can survive for 2 hours in the air or on infected surfaces (like doorknobs, light switches, tables, etc) and spreads when an infected person breathes, coughs, or sneezes. An infected person can transmit measles to others from 4 days prior to the rash starts. Yikes. Here’s a map of measles cases in the US in April 2025. Compare that to the map above and you can easily see it's spreading - rapidly.
There is no specific treatment for measles. You’ve probably heard a lot about vitamin A being used to try to treat measles. That can actually backfire pretty badly, with high levels of vitamin A leading to liver damage and toxicity.
30% of children infected with measles develop a complication. Complications include blindness, brain swelling/damage, pneumonia or other breathing problems, severe diarrhea leading to dehydration, and infections. Some of those complications can happen years after infections. 1 in 5 will need hospital care.
For pregnant women, measles can be super dangerous to her and the baby and lead to miscarriage, premature birth, and stillbirth. The MMR vaccine works incredibly well to protect us, our children, and our neighbors against measles. And, measles is not a simple cold. It can lead to severe disease and even death in some cases. There’s no treatment other than supportive care. And, vitamin A won’t cut it.

But, the main take-home point for me is the long-term implications of a measles infection. The scariest part for me when my kids were little was knowing that a measles infection could be mild but then show up with severe complications years later. In other words, it can lie dormant for years (average of 7-11 years) and then land your kid in the hospital with neurological damage and a high risk of death. I didn't want to chance that or the other awful outcomes a measles infection can cause in children. I also remember wanting to protect myself after my first child was born and we were trying for another baby. Measles can be so scary during pregnancy for both the mom and the child - but especially for the child with a high risk of miscarriage or stillbirth. The MMR vaccine is safe and your greatest defense for you and your family against these very real outcomes.

The MMR vaccine works extraordinarily well. In fact, the vaccine is more effective at reducing cases and deaths than any other vaccine we currently have. I can’t emphasize this enough. The MMR vaccine is the top of the class when it comes to vaccines. Two doses of the MMR vaccine are ~97% effective at preventing measles. WHOA! That’s incredibly high protection against measles. Check out the impact on the next graph - prior to the MMR vaccine, the US had ~75,000 cases of measles each year. After the MMR came around, that dropped dramatically.

In the US, check out the graph below. Measles was pretty much eliminated in the US before making a comeback in 2019.

Measles is here in North Carolina where I live. I work at one of the most premier universities and well-equipped hospital systems in the US. My hospital has some of the best physicians and facilities to help our sick neighbors. People come from all over to receive life-saving treatments for cancer, autoimmune disease, transplants, etc. And, ALL of those patients are immuno-compromised and are at a higher risk of severe disease and complications from measles. For patients with cancer or those undergoing a transplant, they have to wait months after finishing treatment to receive a MMR vaccine against measles. So, if you have a family member or friend undergoing treatment or is immunocompromised, you can help protect them against measles complications by being fully vaccinated yourself. And your kids and the rest of the family. To me, it’s just too risky to be overly cautious with measles - especially since 1 infected person can spread to 9-12 others.

I know there’s so much happening in the world right now, and the news has moved on from measles. But, remain vigilant if you’re in a state that is increasingly seeing measles infections like mine. Make sure you and your family are vaccinated. If you have a small child or a high-risk family member (like someone going through cancer treatment), consider limiting playdates or vacations with families you know aren’t fully vaccinated. I totally recognize that it can be awkward and hard! I get that on a very personal level. But take courage and do what you need to do.

Hang in there, neighbors! I put the links below for other posts I’ve done on measles if you need more information.

-Emily

Neighbor Tuesday: Measles update

Comments