America’s measles crisis reached an alarming milestone, with more cases in the first three months of this year than the entire 2024.
Officials at the CDC have confirmed at least 301 cases in 14 states so far, the vast majority of which are concentrated in Texas and New Mexico.
The outbreak there has seen 294 cases since late January, which is higher than the total nationwide tally for 2024 (285 cases).
It is also the highest tally nationwide since 2019, when 1,274 measles cases were reported following an outbreak in an Orthodox Jewish community in New York.
More than 99 percent of the people infected this year have been unvaccinated, and most were children.
So far, 34 patients have been hospitalized in Texas, and two deaths have also been reported, marking the first measles fatalities since 2015.
The CDC has said that the measles vaccine is the best way to avoid catching the virus — it reduces the risk of infection 97 percent.
The above shows Seminole, in the west of Texas, where the outbreak began in late January
Gaines County is the epicenter of the Texas outbreak, with 174 cases confirmed among residents. In a neighboring community in New Mexico, there have also been dozens of cases.
State health data shows the number of vaccine exemptions in Gaines County has grown dramatically in the last dozen years. Most of the new infections are among religious groups
There are also two suspected cases in Oklahoma in individuals who recently returned to the state from the center of the outbreak.
An unvaccinated child with no underlying health conditions died of measles in Texas in February.
Another death of an unvaccinated adult in New Mexico is under investigation.
Measles is the most infectious disease known to man, with one person capable of infecting more than a dozen unvaccinated people.
The CDC says 14 states have confirmed measles cases this year: Alaska, California, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Vermont and Washington.
The growing outbreak is the first major challenge for U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime vaccine skeptic.
He released a statement highlighting the vaccine as a way to avoid infection, but has also received criticism for promoting other, less proven, treatments such as vitamin A tablets.
The above graph shows the measles cases tally by year since 2000
The above is a stock image of a child infected with measles in the state
Measles is spread via respiratory droplets expelled via coughs and sneezes that can hang in the air for up to two hours.
Infected patients first suffer from a fever, cough, runny nose and sore throat before developing the characteristic red rash that starts on the face and spreads to the rest of the body, including the neck, trunk, arms, legs and feet.
Patients are typically treated with painkillers, but may also receive antibiotics if they develop an associated infection or Vitamin A if they show signs of being malnourished.
In severe cases, they may also need assistance breathing.
Overall, the US has now recorded 301 cases of measles this year across 14 states and three outbreaks.
In Texas, children and teenagers aged between five and 17 years old make up the majority of cases, followed by children under four years old.
More than 17.5 percent of parents of children starting kindergarten in Gaines County filed for an exemption to at least one vaccine last year, one of the highest rates in the state.
