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 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.

The annual pre-kindergarten (pre-K) through 12th grade school immunization survey collects school-level, grade-specific data on vaccine coverage and exemptions. The survey collects vaccination and exemption status data on children who entered the school system on or before a specified date during the fall semester. Individual vaccine information on each student is not collected. This table shows the percentage of kindergarten students vaccinated for each school-entry mandated vaccine series and the percentage with vaccination exemptions (medical or religious) reported by school. Percentage of students vaccinated is the number of students with the required number of doses of a given vaccine divided by the total number of students. Data includes all schools who reported students in kindergarten. School-mandated vaccine series for students enrolled in kindergarten are inactivated polio, DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, and acellular pertussis), MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella), hepatitis B, varicella, and hepatitis A. Each child has 1 of 4 possible vaccination statuses: Vaccinated, Exempt (Religious), Exempt (Medical) or Not Complete. The criteria shown below are used to assess whether a child is considered vaccinated. • Polio = at least 3 doses of inactivated polio vaccine, with the last dose on or after their 4th birthday. This is a school entry requirement starting in kindergarten. • DTaP = at least 4 doses of DTaP vaccine, with the last dose on or after their 4th birthday. This is a school entry requirement starting in kindergarten. • MMR = at least 2 doses of MMR vaccine separated by at least 28 days, with the 1st dose on or after their 1st birthday. This is a school entry requirement starting in kindergarten. • HepB = at least 3 doses of hepatitis B vaccine, with the last dose on or after 24 weeks of age. This is a school entry requirement starting in kindergarten. • Varicella = at least 2 doses of varicella vaccine separated by at least 28 days, with the 1st dose on or after their 1st birthday, or a reliable history of chickenpox disease. This is a school entry requirement starting in kindergarten. • HepA = at least 2 doses of hepatitis A vaccine, given a minimum of six calendar months apart, with the 1st dose on or after their 1st birthday. This is a school entry requirement starting in kindergarten. • All = Percentage of students with all above vaccine series required for that grade level. Children without a record of vaccination, but with serologic proof of immunity to certain diseases (measles, mumps, rubella, hepatitis B, hepatitis A, and varicella), meet school entry requirements and may be counted as vaccinated. The values for schools with fewer than 30 enrolled kindergarteners are suppressed, and those fields are left blank.   Data Limitations and Considerations: • The school level data shown here are as tabulated and reported by schools and discrepancies may exist. • The Immunization Program identifies outliers and internally inconsistent data points and works with schools to resolve any data quality issues, when possible. • CT DPH cannot verify the accuracy of vaccine data for individual children or whether the documentation necessary to claim an exemption has been submitted. • Data are collected at the beginning of the school year, by which time vaccines are due. As the year progresses, immunization rates may increase as additional children receive required immunizations. Additionally, the student body is dynamic and as students arrive and leave school, the immunization rates are impacted. • Vaccine status is assessed on the level of the child and not on each vaccine. Once a child is listed as exempt, vaccination data is no longer collected in the survey for that child. Therefore, children with exemptions are not counted as vaccinated in the vaccine level assessments although they may have received some vaccines. • One school was excluded due to a data collection error.

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.

The annual pre-kindergarten (pre-K) through 12th grade school immunization survey collects school-level, grade-specific data on vaccine coverage and exemptions. The survey collects vaccination and exemption status data on children who entered the school system on or before a specified date during the fall semester. Individual vaccine information on each student is not collected. This table shows the statewide vaccination exemptions (medical and religious) and percentage vaccinated and compliant for each school-entry mandated vaccine series reported by school year, grade, and school type. Percentage of students vaccinated is the number of students with the required number of doses of a given vaccine divided by the total number of students. Data for each grade includes all schools who reported with that given grade level. School-mandated vaccine series for students enrolled in kindergarten are inactivated polio, DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, and acellular pertussis), MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella), hepatitis B, varicella and hepatitis A. Additional mandated vaccines for students enrolled in 7th grade include meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV) and Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis). Influenza vaccine is a requirement for pre-K students only, who are 24 through 59 months of age. Each child has 1 of 4 possible vaccination statutes: Vaccinated, Exempt (Religious), Exempt (Medical) or Non-compliant. The criteria shown below are used to assess whether a child is considered vaccinated. • Flu = at least 1 dose of annual influenza vaccine (pre-K only). This is a school entry requirement only for pre-K students 24 through 59 months of age. • Polio = at least 3 doses of inactivated polio vaccine, with the last dose on or after their 4th birthday. This is a school entry requirement starting in kindergarten. • DTaP = at least 4 doses of DTaP vaccine, with the last dose on or after their 4th birthday. This is a school entry requirement starting in kindergarten. • MMR = at least 2 doses of MMR vaccine separated by at least 28 days, with the 1st dose on or after their 1st birthday. This is a school entry requirement starting in kindergarten. • HepB = at least 3 doses of hepatitis B vaccine, with the last dose on or after 24 weeks of age. This is a school entry requirement starting in kindergarten. • Varicella = at least 2 doses of varicella vaccine separated by at least 28 days, with the 1st dose on or after their 1st birthday, or a reliable history of chickenpox disease. This is a school entry requirement starting in kindergarten. • HepA = at least 2 doses of hepatitis A vaccine, given a minimum of six calendar months apart, with the 1st dose on or after their 1st birthday. This is a school entry requirement starting in kindergarten. Starting with the 2019-2020 school year the annual survey included data collection on hepatitis A vaccine for 7th grade students. • MCV = at least 1 dose of meningococcal conjugate vaccine. This is a school entry requirement starting in 7th grade. • Tdap = at least 1 dose of Tdap vaccine. This is a school entry requirement starting in 7th grade. • All = Percentage of students with all above vaccine series required for that grade level. Children without a record of vaccination, but with serologic proof of immunity to certain diseases (measles, mumps, rubella, hepatitis B, hepatitis A, and varicella), meet school entry requirements and may be counted as vaccinated. Data Limitations and Considerations: • The school level data shown here are as tabulated and reported by schools and discrepancies may exist. • The Immunization Program identifies outliers and internally inconsistent data points and works with schools to resolve any data quality issues, when possible. • CT DPH cannot verify the accuracy of vaccine data for individual children or whether the documentation necessary to claim an exemption has been submitted. • Data are collected at the beginning of the school year, by which time vac

The annual pre-kindergarten (pre-K) through 12th grade school immunization survey collects school-level, grade-specific data on vaccine coverage and exemptions. The survey collects vaccination and exemption status data on children who entered the school system on or before a specified date during the fall semester. Individual vaccine information on each student is not collected. This table shows the percentage of seventh grade students vaccinated for each school-entry mandated vaccine series and the percentage with vaccination exemptions (medical or religious) reported by school. Percentage of students vaccinated is the number of students with the required number of doses of a given vaccine divided by the total number of students. Data includes all schools who reported students in seventh grade. School-mandated vaccine series for students enrolled in seventh grade are inactivated polio, DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, and acellular pertussis), MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella), hepatitis B, varicella, hepatitis A, meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV) and Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis). Each child has 1 of 4 possible vaccination statutes: Vaccinated, Exempt (Religious), Exempt (Medical) or Non-compliant. The criteria shown below are used to assess whether a child is considered vaccinated. • MMR = at least 2 doses of MMR vaccine separated by at least 28 days, with the 1st dose on or after their 1st birthday. This is a school entry requirement starting in kindergarten. • Varicella = at least 2 doses of varicella vaccine separated by at least 28 days, with the 1st dose on or after their 1st birthday, or a reliable history of chickenpox disease. This is a school entry requirement starting in kindergarten. • HepA = at least 2 doses of hepatitis A vaccine, given a minimum of six calendar months apart, with the 1st dose on or after their 1st birthday. This is a school entry requirement starting in kindergarten. Starting with the 2019-2020 school year the annual survey included data collection on hepatitis A vaccine for 7th grade students. • MCV = at least 1 dose of meningococcal conjugate vaccine. This is a school entry requirement starting in 7th grade. • Tdap = at least 1 dose of Tdap vaccine. This is a school entry requirement starting in 7th grade. • All = Percentage of students with all above vaccine series required for that grade level. Children without a record of vaccination, but with serologic proof of immunity to certain diseases (measles, mumps, rubella, hepatitis B, hepatitis A, and varicella), meet school entry requirements and may be counted as vaccinated. The values for schools with fewer than 30 enrolled seventh graders are suppressed, and those fields are left blank. Data Limitations and Considerations: • The school level data shown here are as tabulated and reported by schools and discrepancies may exist. • The Immunization Program identifies outliers and internally inconsistent data points and works with schools to resolve any data quality issues, when possible. • CT DPH cannot verify the accuracy of vaccine data for individual children or whether the documentation necessary to claim an exemption has been submitted. • Data are collected at the beginning of the school year, by which time vaccines are due. As the year progresses, immunization rates may increase as additional children receive required immunizations. Additionally, the student body is dynamic and as students arrive and leave school, the immunization rates are impacted. • Vaccine status is assessed on the level of the child and not on each vaccine. Once a child is listed as exempt, vaccination data is no longer collected in the survey for that child. Therefore, children with exemptions are not counted as vaccinated in the vaccine level assessments although they may have received some vaccines. •One school was excluded due to a data collection error.

A survey of adults in the United States from 2024 found that 23 percent of Republicans 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 in recent years.

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, 1,045 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 200 and 179 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. 73 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.

New spikes of measles outbreaks in the European Economic Area (EEA) were reached in 2024, with over ***** cases of measles reported in March 2024, the highest monthly figure since June 2011. The recent increase in cases could be a result of the growing vaccine skepticism movement in some European countries. Incidence by age and country In 2023, nearly ** percent of all measles cases in the European Economic Area (EEA) were reported among children aged one to four years old. The age group between five and nine years followed with almost ** percent of the cases. In the same year, Romania reported the highest number of measles cases among all countries in the EEA with nearly ***** cases, far more than any other country in the region. Similarly, the highest incidence rate of measles in the same area was reported in Romania, with **** cases per one million population. Vaccination figures In 2023, nearly ** percent of the children in the European Economic Area (EEA) received their first dose of measles vaccines, while around ** percent received the second dose of the immunization. In that year, around **** in **** children who contracted measles in the EEA were unvaccinated, while only around **** percent of the cases were reported in children who had received * or more doses of measles immunization.

This statistical report, co-authored with the UK Health Security Agency (UKSHA), reports childhood vaccination coverage statistics for England in 2023-24. Data relates to the routine vaccinations offered to all children up to the age of 5 years, derived from the Cover of Vaccination Evaluated Rapidly (COVER). Additional information on children aged 2 and 3 vaccinated against seasonal flu are collected from GPs through UKHSA's ImmForm system.

Sweden: Percent of children ages 12-23 months with measles immunization: The latest value from 2022 is 92 percent, a decline from 97 percent in 2021. In comparison, the world average is 84 percent, based on data from 187 countries. Historically, the average for Sweden from 1980 to 2022 is 95 percent. The minimum value, 88 percent, was reached in 1980 while the maximum of 98 percent was recorded in 2012.

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.

Measles is a highly contagious and severe disease. Despite mass vaccination, it remains a leading cause of death in children in developing regions, killing 114,900 globally in 2014. In 2006, China committed to eliminating measles by 2012; to this end, the country enhanced its mandatory vaccination programs and achieved vaccination rates reported above 95% by 2008. However, in spite of these efforts, during the last 3 years (2013–2015) China documented 27,695, 52,656, and 42,874 confirmed measles cases. How measles manages to spread in China—the world’s largest population—in the mass vaccination era remains poorly understood. To address this conundrum and provide insights for future public health efforts, we analyze the geospatial pattern of measles transmission across China during 2005–2014. We map measles incidence and incidence rates for each of the 344 cities in mainland China, identify the key socioeconomic and demographic features associated with high disease burden, and identify transmission clusters based on the synchrony of outbreak cycles. Using hierarchical cluster analysis, we identify 21 epidemic clusters, of which 12 were cross-regional. The cross-regional clusters included more underdeveloped cities with large numbers of emigrants than would be expected by chance (p = 0.011; bootstrap sampling), indicating that cities in these clusters were likely linked by internal worker migration in response to uneven economic development. In contrast, cities in regional clusters were more likely to have high rates of minorities and high natural growth rates than would be expected by chance (p = 0.074; bootstrap sampling). Our findings suggest that multiple highly connected foci of measles transmission coexist in China and that migrant workers likely facilitate the transmission of measles across regions. This complex connection renders eradication of measles challenging in China despite its high overall vaccination coverage. Future immunization programs should therefore target these transmission foci simultaneously.

BackgroundEach year, vaccine-preventable diseases cost the lives of 8.8 million under-five children. Although vaccination prevents 1–2 million childhood deaths worldwide, measles vaccination dropouts are not well studied in developing countries, particularly in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aims to assess the spatial distribution of the measles vaccination dropout and its determinants among under-five children in Ethiopia.MethodsData from Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey 2019 was used for data analysis. The study used a total of 5,753 children. Spatial autocorrelations was used to determine the spatial dependency of measles vaccination dropout. Ordinary interpolation was employed to forecast measles vaccination dropout. Factors associated with measles vaccination dropout were declared significant at p-values

In 2023, the rate of children immunized against measles in the age group of 12 to 23 months in Indonesia decreased by ten percentage points (-10.87 percent) compared to 2022. Nevertheless, the last two years recorded a significantly higher rate of children than the preceding years.The measles immunization rate of children measures the share of children aged 12-23 months who received the measles vaccination before 12 months or at any time before the survey. A child is considered adequately immunized against measles after receiving one dose of the vaccine.Find more statistics on other topics about Indonesia with key insights such as male smoking rate, share of children aged 12-23 months immunized against diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus (DPT), and death rate.

Number and percentage of measles cases by age group and origin, 8/2017-10/2018 (n = 578).

As of 2017, around 91.5 percent of children in the U.S. aged 19 to 35 months had been vaccinated against measles, mumps and rubella (MMR). The MMR vaccine is widely used around the world and is recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for adults who don’t have immunity and all children.

Measles

The number of cases of measles in the United States has dropped significantly since the introduction of the MMR vaccination. However, there has been a recent increase in measles cases, due to the growth of the vaccine hesitancy movement. Despite claims from this movement, the MMR vaccine is safe and effective. One dose of the MMR vaccine is around 93 percent effective against measles, while two doses is 97 percent effective.

Mumps

The MMR vaccine has resulted in a similar decrease in the rate of mumps cases in the U.S. One dose of the MMR vaccine is 78 percent effective against mumps, while two doses is 88 percent effective. Although the MMR vaccine is safe and effective, like any medicine it can have side effects. Common side effects include fever, a mild rash and temporary joint pain and stiffness.

Guyana: Percent of children ages 12-23 months with measles immunization: The latest value from 2022 is 95 percent, unchanged from 95 percent in 2021. In comparison, the world average is 84 percent, based on data from 187 countries. Historically, the average for Guyana from 1982 to 2022 is 84 percent. The minimum value, 40 percent, was reached in 1985 while the maximum of 99 percent was recorded in 2012.