The number of recorded measles cases in the U.S. during 2025 has officially exceeded 2,000 just before the end of the year, a bleak punctuation on what has been the worst spread of measles the country has seen in decades.
As of Dec. 23, the U.S. has reported 2,012 measles cases, with the vast majority — 98 percent — being reported by domestic jurisdictions, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The U.S. measles tracker operated by Johns Hopkins University, updated Friday, holds a slightly higher total at 2,023 cases.
By comparison, the CDC recorded only 269 measles cases in the country during 2024.
The most significant portion of cases came from Texas this year, with the CDC reporting 803 confirmed measles cases in the state. Outbreaks occurred in the West Texas this year among Mennonite communities in which vaccination levels are low.
This milestone comes less a month from the deadline from which the U.S. will technically lose its measles elimination status, marking 12 continuous months of measles transmission in the country. The U.S. has had measles elimination status since 2000.
Canada lost its own measles elimination status earlier this year. With a population significantly smaller than that of the U.S., experts have warned that the spread of cases could be significant in the next 12 to 18 months.
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