Measles Cases on the Rise in the U.S.

April 28, 2025

Incidents of measles across the U.S. has gone up since 2024, with more cases appearing in smaller concentrations. Pennsylvania is among 30 states providing data on measles cases.

A total of 884 cases of the disease were confirmed nationally this year as of April 24, according to the CDC. In 2024, 285 confirmed cases of measles were reported.

The CDC uses the data collected from states to create models showing how measles outbreaks could occur and spread in the U.S. These models can be used to help health departments better identify communities at highest risk and manage resources.

Here are some key takeaways:

• Individual cases are causing wider outbreaks:  There have been 11 outbreaks reported in 2025, and resulting in 93 percent of the confirmed cases. For comparison, 16 outbreaks were reported during 2024 and 69 percent were outbreak-associated.
• Breakdown by age:  30 percent of confirmed cases are in children under 5 years, 38 percent are among children 5–19 years, and 30 percent are among adults. In 2 percent of cases the age is unknown.
• Vaccination Status:  According to reporting, the 97 percent of individuals with confirmed cases in 2025 were unvaccinated or their vaccination status was unknown.
• Hospitalizations:  11 percent of the confirmed cases in 2025 have required hospitalization.
• Fatalities:  There have been three confirmed deaths of measles in 2025.

Measles is an airborne, extremely infectious, and potentially severe rash illness. Before the measles vaccine, an estimated 48,000 people were hospitalized and 400–500 people died nationally each year.

See more data on measles cases from the CDC.