There is a resurgence of measles cases in the United States, which is causing concern among some families and health experts. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, three outbreaks (defined as three or more related cases) have been reported in 2025, and 93% of total cases were outbreak-associated. For comparison, the CDC says as of April 3, 2025, a total of 607 confirmed* measles cases were reported by 22 jurisdictions: Alaska, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York City, New York State, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, and Washington.
There have been 6 outbreaks (defined as 3 or more related cases) reported in 2025, and 93% of confirmed cases (567 of 607) are outbreak-associated. For comparison, 16 outbreaks were reported during 2024 and 69% of cases (198 of 285) were outbreak-associated.
Pediatricians in the Infectious Disease Division at Children’s of Alabama say measles is an age-old infection. It is highly contagious and can cause serious illness. Some health experts call it one of the most contagious infectious diseases known. They say anyone who is not protected against measles is at risk.
Some signs and symptoms of measles include a cough, runny nose, fever, and red, watery eyes. Children also may have Koplik’s spots (small red spots with blue-white centers) inside the mouth before the rash starts. Health experts say initially, a rash can begin on the face and then spread out to other parts of the body. The rash can break out 3-5 days after the symptoms start, and a child could also develop a very high fever. The fever and the rash can slowly go away after a few days.
So, how does measles spread? It is a respiratory spread that can happen when people breathe it in or have direct contact with virus-infected fluid. It can pass through droplets sprayed into the air when someone with measles sneezes or coughs. This can happen up to two hours after the infected person leaves the room. If a child is exposed to the virus, symptoms appear six to 21 days later.
Health experts advise the best way for parents to protect their children from measles is to vaccinate them. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), CDC, and the American Academy of Family Physicians all recommend children receive the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine at the age of 12-15 months and again at 4 to 6 years. Children can receive the second dose earlier if it is at least 28 days after the first dose. The first vaccine can be given to babies as young as six months old if they travel internationally. About 95% of people achieve immunity after the first vaccine, and the rest develop it the second time they are vaccinated. Immunity usually lasts a lifetime. If parents have questions about the vaccine or need to check to see if their child is vaccinated, they should talk with their pediatrician.
Health experts continue to stress the importance of widespread immunization. They say 95% of the people who live in the community need to be vaccinated for a community to be immune from it. Over the past few years, vaccination rates have declined. Those who are at the highest risk during a measles outbreak are infants who are not old enough to get the measles vaccine, those who have not gotten two doses of the measles vaccine, pregnant women, and people with poor nutrition or weak immune systems.
For more information on the measles vaccine, click here.
