Name: Measles cases surge in U.S. as it considers vaccine changes
Uploaded: 2025-12-03T21:13:20.507Z
Duration: 2 min 33 s
Description: Health experts say measles cases are rising in the U.S. and around the world and coincide with lower vaccination rates and discussion of changing vaccine schedules.

Health experts say measles cases are rising in the U.S. and around the world and coincide with lower vaccination rates and discussion of changing vaccine schedules.

Measles cases in the United States have reached nearly 1,800 this year, representing 46 outbreaks—three times the number seen in 2024. Experts attribute the rise to declining vaccination rates, fueled by misinformation and disinformation about the measles vaccine.

The World Health Organization reports an 8% global increase in measles cases compared to pre-pandemic levels, with 59 countries experiencing significant outbreaks. Despite a long-term global decline in cases since 2000, health officials warn that measles can cause severe health complications and stress the importance of maintaining high vaccination coverage.

Measles cases surge in U.S. as it considers vaccine changes

More measles cases are occurring across the United States as social gatherings increase during the holiday season. That has experts concerned about the growth of the highly infectious virus. Dr. Rebecca Sonenshine is the medical director of the Arizona State University Health Observatory. So far this year, there have been nearly 1800 confirmed cases of measles reported to CDC in the United States. That actually represents about 46 different outbreaks, which is triple the number that we saw in 2024. So we're seeing a lot more measles than we've seen before and the outbreaks are lasting longer. Dr. Sonenshine says the rise in cases coincides with a drop in people receiving the measles vaccine. She said she doesn't know why this is happening, but said there is a lot of misinformation and disinformation about the shot. U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. repeatedly has made misleading claims about vaccines, including that the measles vaccine contains cells from aborted fetuses and the mumps vaccination does not work. This comes as scientists have warned that the U.S. is at a tipping point for the return of endemic measles, declared eradicated nationally in 2000. The U.S. isn't the only country seeing more measles. A World Health Organization report out last week showed global cases climbed 8% last year compared with pre-pandemic levels in 2019, with 59 countries seeing larger disruptive measles outbreaks. It pointed out measles is often the first disease to see a resurgence when there is a drop in vaccination coverage. Canada lost its measles elimination status last month after failing to curb a year-long outbreak. However, the WHO report did show a 71% decline in cases globally from 2000 to 2024. Doctors say the illness can cause serious health problems and lead to death. A lot of people don't realize how severe measles can be, with one in five children under five having been hospitalized in this outbreak this year. It also can lead to permanent deafness and neurologic damage, and about one to three people in a thousand will actually die from the disease, which is why it's so important to get vaccinated. Measles is highly preventable when countries reach 95% coverage with two doses, which are 97% effective.

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