Measles Matters: Understanding the Comeback of Measles | Institute for Health Policy Leadership

By IHPL - April 1, 2026

The United States announced the elimination of measles in 2000. However, more recently, incidence rates of measles infection have risen. In the first two months of 2026, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recorded over 1,000 measles cases, spanning 27 states and 10 separate outbreaks. In comparison, 2,281 measles cases were recorded in the entire year of 2025, and, in 2024, only 285 cases were recorded.¹

But first—what is measles? And why is its comeback important? Measles is a highly contagious virus that affects the respiratory system. People with the infection can suffer from fever, cough, and a rash. They can spread the disease through the air, either by coughing, sneezing, or even breathing. Serious complications of measles include blindness, infection of both the brain tissue and the lungs, and even death. In 2024, an estimated 95,000 people died from measles worldwide.² Last year, 3 people in the U.S. died from measles—one immunocompromised adult and two children—marking the first measles-related death of a child in a decade.¹

Vaccination is the most powerful tool we have to prevent measles infection. The vaccine was developed in 1954 by a team of Boston researchers who isolated the virus from an infected person’s blood. They then attenuated, or altered, it to make it weaker. This produced an antibody response in people who received it, helping their immune system prevent serious infection if they were exposed to the virus naturally.³ In 1971, the measles vaccine was combined with the mumps and rubella vaccine to create the MMR live-attenuated vaccine, resulting in immunity to measles in 96% of vaccinated children, mumps in 95%, and rubella in 94%.⁵ Moreover, the World Health Organization estimates that measles vaccination helped prevent 58 million deaths between 2000 and 2024.⁵

Despite this medical achievement, U.S. vaccination rates are declining. Completion of the two-dose MMR immunization in kindergarteners fell from 95.2% in the 2019-2020 school year to 92.7% in 2023-2024.⁶ Notably, 95% is the rate that the CDC identifies as providing “herd immunity,” which occurs when high rates of either vaccination or prior infection markedly reduce the occurrence of a disease, protecting those who have not yet been exposed to it.⁷ Researchers now estimate that measles vaccination coverage declines at 0.3 to 0.4 percentage points per year.⁷

The reasons for this decline are multifold. In regions with “natural” health beliefs and isolated communities with mistrust of vaccines, for example, lower vaccination rates preceded the nationwide trend.⁶Fears that vaccines are linked to autism, a false claim that has been debunked many times over, remain prevalent within the U.S.⁸This is worsened by mixed messaging from the U.S. federal leadership in health. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., the current Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary, asserts that there is no proof vaccines do not cause autism, and the department itself has since reduced the number of recommended vaccines from 17 to 11.^{9, 10} Per the HHS, one of the reasons for this is declining trust in the U.S. public health system, which may be restored by replacing vaccine mandates with shared clinical decision-making.¹¹ Although measles remains on the CDC’s list of recommended vaccines for all children, negative sentiment towards vaccination in general may contribute to lower adherence. Finally, cuts to federal public health and Medicaid funding may reduce access to vaccines.⁷

It is important to note that two things can be true simultaneously: lower vaccination rates are causing higher measles incidence rates, leading to more death and disability, while mistrust and poor health communication are simultaneously motivating families to decide against vaccinations. Healthcare providers and public health officials should work jointly to promote better understanding of how the measles vaccine works, how it can prevent disease, and how technology and research have minimized its safety risks and side effect profiles, while continuing to promote access to this lifesaving tool.

Author Bio

Alexis Duke, BS
Alexis Duke is a fourth-year medical student at Loma Linda University School of Medicine. She is in the Policy, Advocacy, Leadership, and Service (PALS) Certificate Track. Her current interests include neurology, public health, and health literacy.

Author Bio

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