In 1919, there were almost 13 deaths from measles per 100,000 population in the United States. However, this rate had dropped to zero by the year 2021. In early 2025, an outbreak of measles in Texas resulted in the death of a child. This was the first measles death in the United States since 2015. Measles is a highly contagious disease, that is especially dangerous for children. However, vaccines have significantly decreased the rate of cases and deaths in the United States.

In the year 2000, there were around 3,397 deaths due to measles in Europe. This number dropped to just 222 in 2023. This statistic shows the estimated number of deaths due to measles worldwide in 2000 and 2023, by region.

In 1970, there were 22.79 new cases of measles per 100,000 population in the United States. However, this rate dropped to .08 in the year 2024. This statistic shows the number of new cases of measles per 100,000 population in the United States from 1919 to 2024.

There were 285 new cases of measles in the U.S. in 2024. Measles, also known as rubeola, is an infectious disease that is highly contagious and affects mostly children. Common symptoms of measles include fever, runny nose, sore throat, cough, and a rash. Although death rates from measles have decreased around the world, it is still responsible for around 81,000 deaths worldwide per year. Measles vaccination The main reason for the decrease in measles cases and deaths is due to high vaccination rates. The widely used MMR vaccine protects against measles, mumps, and rubella and is safe and effective. In 2023, around 91 percent of adolescents in the U.S. aged 13 to 17 years had received an MMR vaccination. However, in recent years there has been a rise in measles cases in many parts of the world due to vaccine hesitancy. Vaccine hesitancy Vaccine hesitancy refers to a refusal or reluctance to have children vaccinated, despite the overwhelming evidence that vaccines are safe and effective. This hesitancy comes from a misunderstanding of the ingredients in vaccines and how they work, a mistrust of doctors and pharmaceutical companies, and belief in the unfounded associations of vaccines with other diseases and disorders.

Table S1, Selected characteristics of 16 measles outbreaks by district, Bihar, 2011–12. Table S2, Measles case fatality rate by selected variables in 18 outbreaks, Bihar, India, October 2011 to April 2012. Table S3, Multiple logistic regression analysis of the risk factors associated with measles death during 18 outbreaks in Bihar, India, October 2011 to April 2012. (DOCX)

Rank, number of deaths, percentage of deaths, and age-specific mortality rates for the leading causes of death, by age group and sex, 2000 to most recent year.

In 2022, there were three reported cases of measles in Canada, compared to over two thousand cases in 1995. This statistic shows the number of reported cases of measles in Canada from 1930 to 2022.

The demographic and clinical characteristics of 267 patients with clinical measles admitted to Mulago Hospital from 1st January 2018 to 31st December 2018.

In the year 1930, the rate of reported cases of measles was 211.93 per 100,000 people. This rate had decreased to just .01 in the year 2022. This statistic shows the rate of reported cases of measles in Canada from 1930 to 2022, per 100,000 population.

This statistic shows the annual number of cases of select infectious diseases in the U.S. before and after the development and use of vaccinations as of 2022. Before the use of vaccinations there were an estimated 530,217 new cases of measles per year in the United States. This number dropped to 121 new cases in 2022 due to the development and use of vaccinations.

The number of confirmed cases of rubella, a vaccine-preventable disease, in the United States has decreased dramatically since 1998. This statistic shows the number of cases of rubella in the United States reported each year from 1998 to 2021.