Measles, the virus the U.S. declared vanquished in 2000, is back with a vengeance. In 2025 it has infected nearly 2,000 Americans, with runaway outbreaks now in South Carolina's Upstate and the Arizona–Utah border towns, forcing hundreds of mostly unvaccinated students and families into quarantine.
The measles victory looks suddenly fragile. Tight-knit, under-vaccinated communities, muddled vaccine messaging from Washington, and pandemic-era slippage in childhood shots are asking: is measles truly 'eliminated'? Or will it become a regular, deadly visitor again?
16 events
Latest: December 12th, 2025 · 5 months ago
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December 2025
AP: Dual Outbreaks in South Carolina and Arizona–Utah Illustrate National Crisis
LatestAnalysis
The Associated Press highlights Spartanburg County and the Colorado City–Hildale cluster as emblematic of 2025’s measles resurgence and the risk of the U.S. losing its elimination status.
Spartanburg County Outbreak Hits 111 Cases; Schools Reel
Outbreak
South Carolina officials report 111 confirmed cases, mostly tied to Way of Truth Church in Inman, with students from nine schools and more than 250 people now quarantined.
CDC Counts 1,912 U.S. Measles Cases, 47 Outbreaks
Data
The national case tally nears 2,000, with 47 distinct outbreaks and infections reported in 43 states, making 2025 the worst measles year since the early 1990s.
November 2025
Americas Region and Canada Lose Measles Elimination Status
Milestone
WHO and regional bodies confirm that continued outbreaks have cost Canada and the broader Americas measles elimination status, underscoring how fragile the designation is.
October 2025
Mohave County Reaches 80 Cases, Hospitalizations Climb
Outbreak
Arizona and Utah officials report at least 80 cases in Mohave County and 43 in neighboring Utah, with eight hospitalizations and some of the lowest vaccination rates in either state.
South Carolina Declares Upstate Measles Outbreak
Outbreak
State health officials label three or more linked cases an outbreak after infections emerge around Spartanburg, some with no obvious source, indicating community circulation.
September 2025
Colorado City–Hildale Cluster Takes Off
Outbreak
Arizona public radio reports 24 cases in Colorado City and eight in southwest Utah, mostly among children in FLDS communities where one school’s MMR rate was just 7%.
August 2025
First Measles Case Confirmed on Arizona–Utah Border
Outbreak
Mohave County reports an unvaccinated resident with no travel history, with exposures across Arizona and Utah, signaling homegrown spread in a severely under‑vaccinated community.
July 2025
CDC Confirms Highest Measles Tally Since Elimination
Data
New CDC data show 1,288 cases, 92% in unvaccinated or unknown‑status people, mostly linked to the Southwest outbreak, prompting fresh warnings about losing elimination status.
Johns Hopkins Tracker Shows 2025 Surpasses 2019 Record
Data
The U.S. Measles Tracker logs 1,281 cases, topping 2019’s modern‑era record and confirming 2025 as the worst measles year in more than three decades.
April 2025
HHS Secretary Kennedy Orders CDC Surge to Texas
Response
After visiting families of two Texas children killed by measles, Kennedy publicly backs MMR and directs CDC to send more teams, vaccines and supplies to West Texas.
March 2025
U.S. Notifies WHO of Expanding Measles Emergency
Statement
By March 20, officials report 378 cases across 17 states to WHO, many tied to the Texas‑centered outbreak, raising early concerns about elimination status.
January 2025
Southwest Outbreak Ignites in West Texas Mennonite Community
Outbreak
Measles spreads through an under‑vaccinated Mennonite community in Gaines County, Texas, then into New Mexico and Oklahoma, eventually sickening nearly 900 and killing three unvaccinated people.
October 2019
2019 New York Outbreak Nearly Costs U.S. Elimination Status
Outbreak
Under‑immunized Orthodox Jewish communities in New York drive 934 measles cases, forcing emergency orders and nearly ending the nation’s elimination designation.
January 2015
Disneyland Outbreak Shows Power of Pockets
Outbreak
An unvaccinated child with measles linked to Disneyland sparks a 131‑case multistate outbreak, largely in undervaccinated communities, igniting debate over personal‑belief exemptions.
January 2000
U.S. Wins “Eliminated” Status for Measles
Milestone
Federal health officials declare measles eliminated in the United States after sustained high MMR vaccination rates, meaning no continuous domestic transmission for over a year.
Historical Context
3 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.
1 of 3
2014-12 – 2015-04
2015 Disneyland Measles Outbreak
An infected visitor at Disneyland in California seeded a multistate outbreak that ultimately infected 131 people in California and dozens more in other U.S. states, Canada and Mexico. Most cases were in unvaccinated individuals, many whose parents had declined MMR shots despite easy access.
Then
California declared the outbreak over in April 2015 and saw a surge in demand for MMR shots.
Now
Public outrage helped lawmakers pass California’s SB277, virtually eliminating personal‑belief exemptions for school vaccines.
Why this matters now
It shows how a single exposure in an under‑vaccinated pocket can ignite a national scare – and how outbreaks can catalyze tougher school vaccine rules.
2 of 3
2018-10 – 2019-10
2019 New York and National Measles Resurgence
Large outbreaks in close‑knit Orthodox Jewish communities in New York City and nearby counties produced 1,249 U.S. measles cases in 2019, the highest since 1992. About 89% of patients were unvaccinated or had unknown vaccination status, and transmission in New York nearly lasted long enough to cost the U.S. its elimination status.
Then
New York imposed emergency orders, banned unvaccinated kids from public places, and eventually shut down the outbreaks.
Now
The U.S. barely kept its elimination designation, but the episode foreshadowed how declining coverage could make that status fragile.
Why this matters now
It’s the closest historical near‑miss: a reminder that elimination is a policy achievement, not a biological law, and can be undone by a few under‑immunized communities.
3 of 3
2019-09 – 2020-01
2019 Samoa Measles Disaster
After a vaccine‑handling error killed two infants and shattered public trust, Samoa’s childhood MMR coverage plunged to about one‑third. When measles arrived, it ripped through the island nation, infecting more than 5,700 people out of a population of 200,000 and killing at least 83, mostly babies and young children.
Then
The government declared a state of emergency, shut schools, and ran door‑to‑door mass vaccination drives to stop the epidemic.
Now
By late 2019, vaccination coverage rebounded above 90%, and Samoa now mandates measles immunization for children.
Why this matters now
Samoa is an extreme case of what happens when trust and coverage collapse – and it now shadows U.S. debates because its leaders explicitly blame Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s earlier vaccine rhetoric.
