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Measles cases hit 33-year high in the United States
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Transmission electron micrograph showing a single measles virus particle, or virion, appearing as a textured, oval-shaped structure in purple against a tan background.
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Transmission electron micrograph showing a single measles virus particle, or virion, appearing as a textured, oval-shaped structure in purple against a tan background.
Measles TEM (transmission electron microscopy) of a single measles virus particle, or virion.

Measles cases hit 33-year high in the United States

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ProCon debate: Should states be allowed to mandate vaccines for school attendance?

ProCon issue in the news: As of July 8, 2025, the United States has reported 1,288 cases of measles, more than any year since 1992, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Measles has been reported in 38 states, with Texas reporting the highest number of cases at 753. Of the 1,288 cases, 92 percent of the patients were not vaccinated against measles or had an unknown vaccination status. By July 15, the number of cases had risen to 1,309 confirmed cases in 39 states.

Measles was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000, meaning that the disease was not continuously circulating in the country. The United States is at risk of quickly losing that status if measles cases continue to grow.

The CDC notes that kindergarten vaccination rates for the 2023–24 school year fell below the 95 percent herd immunity threshold to 92.7 percent. Adam Ratner, a pediatric infectious disease physician, explained, “What we’re seeing now is, as vaccine hesitancy has grown, particularly during and after the COVID pandemic, those outbreaks are becoming more frequent and larger.”

Measles cases are also growing internationally, making the unvaccinated in the United States vulnerable to measles from other countries via tourists and other visitors. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that Europe had the highest number of cases in more than 25 years. Outbreaks have also spread in Mexico and Canada.

While measles is generally thought of as a mild illness, one in eight cases in the United States has resulted in hospitalization in 2025. The virus can cause pneumonia and brain swelling, the latter of which can lead to permanent disabilities, including blindness, deafness, and intellectual disabilities. Globally, measles is a leading cause of blindness. It can even result in death.

Health and Human Services spokesperson Andrew Nixon said that the “CDC continues to recommend MMR vaccines as the best way to protect against measles. The decision to vaccinate is a personal one.” The measles vaccine is usually grouped with the mumps and rubella (also called German measles) vaccines into the MMR vaccine, which the CDC recommends for children 12–15 months old (first dose) and children 4–6 years old (second dose). In the United States, all 50 states and Washington, D.C., require some form of the measles vaccine for public kindergarten enrollment.

Discussion questions

  1. Should states be allowed to mandate vaccines for public school attendance? Why or why not?
  2. Should the federal government mandate vaccines for anyone? If yes, for whom and why? If no, why not?

Sources

  • Maria Godoy, “U.S. Measles Cases Hit Highest Level in 33 Years, CDC Reports” (July 9, 2025), npr.org
  • Teddy Rosenbluth and Jonathan Corum, “Measles Cases Hit Highest Total Since U.S. Eliminated the Disease” (July 9, 2025), nytimes.com