In 2024, there were a total of 285 cases of measles in the United States, with 120 of these cases among children aged under five years. From January 1 to April 3, 2025, there were 607 cases of measles. There were also two reported deaths from the disease during this time, the first since 2015. Measles is a highly contagious disease that can be especially dangerous for young children. Vaccines against measles resulted in a significant decrease in cases in the United States over the last few decades; however, increasing vaccine hesitancy and skepticism has been blamed for recent outbreaks.

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.

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 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.

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.

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 2024, Zambia recorded the highest number of measles cases in Southern Africa, with close to 4,800 cases. Mozambique followed, with 1,085 cases, however, it was the only country in the region to record deaths as a result of the infectious disease, with 29 fatalities.

A survey of adults in the United States from 2024 found that almost 20 percent thought it was definitely true or probably true that getting the measles vaccine is more dangerous than becoming infected with measles. However, this statement is false. Measles is a highly contagious disease that is especially dangerous for children. Vaccinations against measles are safe and effective and have resulted in a significant decrease in measles cases and deaths in the United States. Vaccine hesitancy and skepticism have been blamed for an increasing number of measles outbreaks lately.

During 2024 in Italy, ***** cases of measles were reported, a great increase compared to the number of cases reported in 2023. Lazio and Sicily were the regions reporting the highest number of cases, with *** and *** cases, respectively. This statistic shows the number of measles cases in Italy in 2024, by region. Vaccine Law Measles is an infectious viral disease that usually occurs among children. The most common symptoms associated with the disease are fever, cough, and rash. More severe complications that may derive from measles are pneumonia, encephalitis, and even death. Nowadays, it is possible to prevent measles due to the availability of a vaccine. In Italy measles vaccination became mandatory with the adoption of Decree Law No. ** of 2017. The Italian Parliament enacted this law mainly to put an end to the decreasing trend in vaccinations against some infectious diseases, including measles. Consequently, the measles vaccination coverage increased by approximately seven percent between 2016 and 2018. Measles outbreak The topic of measles vaccination has become increasingly debated in Italy in the past few years. In 2023, Italy was the country in Europe with the sixth-highest number of cases registered. Nonetheless, there is still a portion of the population not recognizing the importance and safety of vaccines.

In 2023, there were *** confirmed cases of measles across all age groups in England and Wales. However, in the first two quarters of 2024, there were ***** confirmed cases of measles, with the majority occurring in early age groups. This statistic displays the number of confirmed cases of measles in England and Wales in 2023 and 2024, by age group.

In England and Wales, the number of measles cases peaked in 2012, when there were over ***** confirmed cases reported. In the first quarters of 2024, the number of confirmed cases of measles peaked again, reaching almost two thousand cases. This statistic displays the annual number of confirmed cases of measles in England and Wales between 2000 and 2024. Variation by region and age groups In 2023, there were *** confirmed cases of measles across England and Wales, with the West Midlands and London regions reporting the highest numbers. However, the first two quarters of 2024 saw a staggering increase to ***** cases, with London alone accounting for *** of these. The majority of cases in 2024 occurred in early age groups, with children below the age of nine accounting for almost ***** cases. Vaccination rates and parental concerns As of 2023/24, only around ** percent of children had completed their primary Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) immunization by their second birthday, the lowest figure since 2010/11. By their fifth birthday, nearly ** percent of children had received their MMR immunization. Meanwhile, a 2022 survey found that around one in five parents in England were at least somewhat concerned about the MMR vaccine, while around ** percent did not express any concern at all.

In 2019, Ghana registered *** total deaths due to measles, increasing slightly from the previous year. The number of deaths was considerably higher in 2000, as it reached roughly *** thousand. In 2003, death cases pertained to measles dropped dramatically to roughly *** cases in total and has fluctuated slightly ever since. The lowest measles death cases were registered in 2015 at *** cases.

In 2024, around 1,185 petitions were filed with the United States National Injury Compensation Program (VICP) seeking compensation for injury or death caused by vaccines. However, just because a petition was filed seeking compensation for injury or death due to a vaccination does not mean that compensation was awarded. Over half of all such petitions filed in the U.S. since 1988 have been dismissed, and in 60 percent of cases in which compensation was awarded it was still not determined whether the alleged vaccine caused the alleged injury. The impact of vaccinations Vaccinations in the United States have had a significant impact on infectious diseases. For example, as of 2017, there are only about 120 new cases of measles per year, compared to over half a million annual cases before the use of vaccination. Vaccinations in the U.S. have also greatly decreased the number of annual cases of hepatitis A and B, rubella, and tetanus. COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy Vaccine hesitancy is a persistent issue in the United States. The issue became especially pertinent during the COVID-19 pandemic in which many people in the United States expressed reluctance to getting a COVID-19 vaccination. In December 2020, 59 percent of adults in the United States who stated they would definitely not or probably not get a COVID-19 vaccine said so because they were worried about possible side effects, while 55 percent said they probably wouldn’t get a COVID-19 vaccination because they do not trust the government to make sure the vaccine is safe and effective. Shockingly, one survey found that even 29 percent of health care workers stated they would probably or definitely not get a COVID-19 vaccine.

In 2023, there were 11 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 2023.

In 2023, there were 47 cases of mumps in Canada, a significant decrease from 43.6 thousand cases of mumps reported in 1950. This statistic depicts the number of mumps cases that occurred in Canada from 1924 to 2023, by year.