Measles roars back in the US, topping 1,000 cases

AFP tally showed there have been 1,012 cases since start of year, with Texas accounting for over 70 percent

By AFP
May 10, 2025
A medical health practitioner administering a measles vaccine to a child at a health center in Lubbock, Texas. — AFP/File
 A medical health practitioner administering a measles vaccine to a child at a health center in Lubbock, Texas. — AFP/File

WASHINGTON: The United States’ measles outbreak has surpassed 1,000 confirmed cases with three deaths so far, state and local data showed Friday, marking a stark resurgence of a vaccine-preventable disease that the nation once declared eliminated.

The surge comes as Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. continues to undermine confidence in the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine -- a highly effective shot he has falsely claimed is dangerous and contains fetal debris.

An AFP tally showed there have been at least 1,012 cases since the start of the year, with Texas accounting for more than 70 percent.

A vaccine-skeptical Mennonite Christian community straddling the Texas-New Mexico border has been hit particularly hard.

A federal database maintained by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has lagged behind state and county reporting, as the globally renowned health agency faces deep workforce and budget cuts under President Donald Trump’s administration.

North Dakota is the latest state to report an outbreak, with nine cases so far.