The Measles Resurgence: What’s Happening in 2025?

Understanding the Current Outbreak

Measles is making a dangerous comeback in the U.S. As of March 2025, over 200 cases (likely an undercount) have been reported across 12 states. The highest numbers are in Texas and New Mexico. According to a March 7 release by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), most of the cases are among children who had not received the MMR vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps, and rubella. The CDC warns that cases have increased 17-fold compared to previous years. This surge puts young children, pregnant women, and immunocompromised individuals at serious risk.

Most infections are occurring in unvaccinated children, demonstrating how even tiny drops in vaccination rates can cause rapid outbreaks.

What Is Measles, and Why Is It So Contagious?

Measles is a highly infectious viral disease. It spreads through airborne droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes. The virus can linger in the air for up to two hours, making transmission almost inevitable for unvaccinated individuals. Measles is more contagious than Ebola, influenza, or COVID-19. A single infected person can quickly expose 18 unvaccinated individuals around them.

Early symptoms include high fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes, and small white spots in the mouth called Koplik spots, followed by a spreading rash.

Classic Koplik spots are specific to measles (Wikipedia/CDC)

Severe measles case (Medscape.com)

Measles conjunctivitis (Medscape.com)

A Brief History Of The Measles Vaccine

Before the measles vaccine was introduced, the U.S. saw 3–4 million cases annually. This included 48,000 hospitalizations, 1,000 cases of encephalitis, and 400–500 deaths each year. In 1954, Dr. Thomas Peebles and Dr. John Enders isolated the virus, leading to the development of the first effective vaccine in 1963.

Following widespread vaccination, measles cases plummeted. By the 1980s, incidence dropped to 13 cases per million people. In 2000, measles was declared eliminated in the U.S., meaning no sustained outbreaks for over a year. However, measles remains a global threat. Imported cases can still spark outbreaks in under-vaccinated communities. Keeping high vaccination rates is crucial to prevent its return.

Personal Experience with Measles

I encountered my first measles case while working in an urgent care clinic years ago. A panicked mother brought in her 2-year-old boy. He was feverish, lethargic, and covered in a rash. The mother admitted they had delayed the MMR vaccine due to misinformation. The toddler was breathing rapidly and had a runny nose, harsh cough, and conjunctivitis—classic measles symptoms.

Not only was the poor boy in utter misery, but his life was at stake. We admitted him immediately to Children's Hospital of Los Angeles.

It struck me that many younger doctors like me had never seen a case before due to high vaccination rates. Now, many more physicians are witnessing it firsthand. One hallmark of an advanced society is its commitment to the welfare of children, and yet, we seem to be regressing. Meanwhile, Brazil and East Timor eliminated measles in 2018.

The Deadly Complications of Measles

Measles is not a harmless childhood illness. It can cause severe complications, including:

• Pneumonia: This is the leading cause of measles-related death in children.

Normal pediatric chest x-ray (Case courtesy of Bruno Di Muzio, Radiopaedia.org)

Measles pneumonia in both lungs of a 6-month old infant (Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal [SQUMJ]. 22. 10.18295/squmj.4.2021.063)

• Brain swelling (encephalitis): This can cause seizures or permanent damage.

• Ear infections: These can lead to deafness.

• Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE): This is a 100% fatal, long-term brain disease occurring years after infection.

  
  

These photos are from a heartbreaking but must-read story by Ruediger Schoenbohm whose son Max died of SSPE in 2014.

Max vibrant and healthy at 13 years old (Image by Ruediger Schoenbohm)

Max at 18 years old barely responsive due to SSPE (Image by Ruediger Schoenbohm)

The Measles Vaccine: Safe, Effective, and Lifesaving

The MMR vaccine (measles, mumps, rubella) has been 97% effective since its introduction in 1963. Thanks to vaccination, measles was eliminated in the U.S. by 2000. However, declining vaccine uptake has allowed outbreaks to return. The vaccine has an outstanding safety record, with no credible link to autism or other significant side effects. Over 60 million lives have been saved globally due to measles vaccination.

The Role of Misinformation

Misinformation is fueling the resurgence of measles. Some prominent figures, including HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., have downplayed vaccines in favor of diet, exercise, and unproven treatments like cod liver oil and budesonide.

While Vitamin A is recommended globally as it can help measles patients who are deficient, its benefit in the U.S. remains unclear. Vitamin A may be administered to infants and children with measles in the U.S. as supportive management, but it is not a substitute for vaccination.

Summer Davies, a pediatric hospitalist in Lubbock, Texas, articulates the situation well, noting that while it may prevent some complications, “we’re not giving it to every child in the hospital because the evidence just isn’t there.” Overuse of Vitamin A can lead to toxicity and cause damage to vital organs.

In a Fox News interview, Kennedy minimized the risks of measles and inaccurately asserted that deaths from the disease are linked to poor health and diet. This assertion is not true. The disease kills between one to three out of every thousand people infected in the United States.

Kennedy claims that when he had measles as a child, he took cod liver oil. However, personal anecdotes cannot serve as a basis for public health decisions. Budesonide is not a recognized treatment for measles, and the best—and only reliable—protection is vaccination.

Kennedy's flawed narrative poses a serious threat to the health of the American public. As a former environmental lawyer without any medical training, his influence can lead to dangerous outcomes.

Why Risk Your Child’s Life? Get Vaccinated

Measles is a preventable disease with life-threatening consequences. The MMR vaccine protects your child and safeguards vulnerable individuals who cannot be vaccinated. Every parent wants the best for their child—choosing vaccination is choosing safety.

Let’s not wait until we see more children suffering. Talk to your doctor and ensure your family is up to date on vaccinations. Stopping this outbreak is in our hands.