As measles cases hit levels not seen in decades across the US, public health officials scramble to increase vaccination coverage and halt the rapid spread of the highly contagious disease as children return to classrooms.
Children are heading back to classrooms as measles sweeps through the United States at levels not seen in decades. The CDC said there were 3,294 confirmed cases as of 11 September, far above last year’s total and the highest annual figure since 1991, when the disease was still considered far from under control. Public health officials say the combination of falling vaccination coverage and intense spread in some communities is creating the conditions for more outbreaks as schools reopen.
The concern is not just the overall count but how quickly the virus can move in close quarters. Aaron Glatt, chief of infectious diseases at Mount Sinai South Nassau in New York, told Healio that measles is “highly, highly, highly contagious” and warned that an infected person in an unvaccinated room can expose nearly everyone present. CDC data show the country’s kindergarten MMR coverage has dropped to 92.4% for the 2025-26 school year, below the 95% level experts say is needed to stop outbreaks, while fewer states are reaching that threshold.
Several states are already dealing with active outbreaks. Healio reported large clusters in Pennsylvania, Utah, Wisconsin, Maryland and Delaware, with Pennsylvania among the hardest hit and the state health department stepping up vaccine clinics, school-nurse training and a public dashboard to track local immunisation rates. Wisconsin officials have also warned that lower-coverage communities give measles more room to spread, especially in counties where childhood MMR uptake has been well below the level needed for strong community protection.
Experts say the wider problem is uneven access to care and deepening mistrust in some communities. Julia Rosebush, a paediatric infectious disease physician at the University of Chicago, told the Infectious Diseases Society of America that misinformation, historic distrust and practical barriers such as transport can all leave families less likely to vaccinate. Preeti Malani of the University of Michigan said the response should be to bring in trusted voices and make vaccination easier, while Glatt urged clinicians to recognise cases quickly, isolate patients and keep pressing the case for immunisation.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
