What was once considered a disease of the past in the United States is now making a swift and shocking comeback. Measles, also called rubeola, is a highly contagious virus that causes fever, malaise, and skin rashes. Complications from the virus can cause serious lifelong illness, especially in young children. Spread through air droplets from infected patients, the disease was declared eradicated in 2000 due to high immunity rates from administration of the Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR) vaccine. However, a spreading outbreak in Texas is beginning to challenge that status.
The MMR vaccine is one the oldest vaccines delivered on a wide scale. It comes in two doses—one at 12 months and the other between ages four and six. It can be up to 99% effective at preventing the spread of measles, and preventative measures and actions taken by governments and doctors have ensured that most Americans receive the necessary shots. However, the rise of anti-vaxxers, spurred by controversy surrounding the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine, has significantly lowered vaccination rates in many communities. Vaccine coverage has declined by 1.3 to 7.8 percentage points between children born in 2018 and those born in 2021. This movement, which promotes “personal choice” over the right to vaccinate, has led to growing measles outbreaks in recent years.
Vaccines have been viewed as an individual decision, often based on the flawed belief that not vaccinating only harms the person who chooses not to. With highly contagious diseases like measles, this is not the full picture. Immunocompromised individuals, such as the elderly or children undergoing cancer treatments, are also at risk. These individuals may have been vaccinated, but are still at risk. Newborn infants, who cannot receive the vaccine until at least 12 months of age, are also vulnerable.
The push for high vaccination stems from the concept of herd immunity—occurring when a large enough proportion of the population is vaccinated to slow or stop the spread of a disease to protect those who cannot be vaccinated. For measles, 95% of the population needs to be vaccinated for this to occur. In communities with lower vaccination rates, the lack of herd immunity allows for the rapid spread and mutation of the virus.
The 2025 measles outbreak is believed to have started in a rural Mennonite community in Western Texas. Mennonites are one of the many small religious and cultural minorities that refuse to vaccinate because it violates their traditional beliefs. Speculation that the disease entered the country through the southern border due to weak security under the Biden administration has been deemed false by health officials and epidemiologists.
As of March 11, 2025, over 200 cases of measles across 13 states have been reported. Texas, the state where the outbreak started, has seen the most cases, particularly among young children who have not received any MMR vaccination or those who have only received a single dose. The outbreak has also spread across state lines into New Mexico and Oklahoma. Both Texas and New Mexico have each reported one death from the disease, with 29 hospitalizations in Texas. Health care providers and officials are working rapidly to control the outbreak and provide effective care for impacted individuals.
The reaction from Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary, has been muddled. Kennedy stated that the best way to prevent infection from measles is two doses of the MMR vaccine. However, he added that immunization is a personal choice, and that the risk of vaccine injury is underestimated. He commented “We’ve had two measles deaths in 20 years in this country — we have 100,000 autism diagnoses every year.” The link between autism and vaccination has been discredited by numerous scientists and researchers. Furthermore, Kennedy has claimed that malnutrition may have also been a factor in high infection rates, calling Western Texas a “food desert.” Nearly all cases have been in children without underlying conditions, and health complications from the measles virus can occur regardless of physical health of the patient.
An alternative method to vaccination is natural immunization. The response of HHS has also been against the idea of “measles parties,” where parents bring their children together to build natural immunity to the virus. Kennedy himself has stated that he “never advises someone to get sick”; however, he has praised natural immunity over vaccination. Although natural immunity helps the body to produce antibodies, it can lead to “immunity amnesia,” when the body becomes unable to fight off other infections. This can cause serious complications such as pneumonia or encephalitis.
The resurgence of measles in the United States is both shocking and upsetting due to its high prevention rate through vaccination and many Americans’ refusal to return to a long-successful solution. The murky guidelines from HHS, who are investigating alternative solutions and treatments over direct vaccination, have left many Americans questioning the efficacy of the new administration’s ability to handle the public health crisis. For more information on the spread and prevention of the disease, visit the Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) website on the outbreak.
