Vaccination coverage is eroding across the United States at the same time measles cases are surging, according to new county-level data compiled from state health agencies.
Measles outbreaks are infecting more people this year than in any year since the early 1990s and have already killed three. So far in 2025, all but eight states have reported measles cases, a disease the U.S. declared eliminated in 2000. Nearly 92% of these cases were among the unvaccinated or people with unknown vaccination status.
Federal data released in July showed that childhood vaccination rates, which had remained steady for years, have declined, while the share of children exempted for religious and philosophical reasons has increased.
“What we see is that as trust erodes, as vaccination rates drop, the first thing that you see are measles outbreaks,” said Adam Ratner, a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Committee on Infectious Diseases.
Ratner said the outbreaks should act as a public health warning system, signaling that other diseases could follow.
