The federal government reported on Friday that there have been 483 confirmed cases of measles across 20 US jurisdictions so far this year, with the largest outbreak in Texas, and 70 people across the nation needing to be hospitalized.
That compares with 285 cases of measles in the US for the whole of 2024. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported on its website that 97% of the confirmed cases this year so far involved people who were unvaccinated or whose vaccine status was unknown – and 75% of the cases this year have affected people under the age of 19.
The CDC said that there had been one death confirmed from measles this year and one under investigation as connected to the viral infection.
The main outbreak this year has been in Texas, with lethal consequences. The state health department has reported 400 measles cases in Texas as of 28 March.
Meanwhile the New Mexico health department on Friday reported that there were currently 44 cases of measles in the state, up from its previous count of 43 cases on 25 March.
Most of the cases were reported in Lea county, which is adjacent to Gaines county in Texas, which is considered the center of the current measles outbreak that began in late January across the two states.
In recent years, federal health officials have attributed some outbreaks to parents refusing to vaccinate children.
The CDC said in a health advisory to doctors on 7 March that the risk for widespread measles in the US remains low.
The US health secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr, who for years has sown doubts about the safety and efficacy of immunization despite evidence about its safety and efficacy widely accepted by public authorities, said last month that he recognized the serious impact of the current measles outbreak in Texas.
He added that the government was providing resources, including vaccines.
But the New York Times reported earlier this week that some children are suffering complications including liver damage because they have been given huge doses of vitamin A at home, without medical supervision, a therapeutic idea promoted by vaccines skeptics, including Kennedy.
The 20 jurisdictions affected this year are Alaska, California, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York City, New York state, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont and Washington state.
The CDC said on its website that the agency was aware of probable measles cases being reported by jurisdictions but the data referred to on its website, such as the number of cases so far being 483, only includes confirmed cases.
Reuters contributed reporting
