Infectious diseases

US Measles Cases Hit 800 as Three More States Report First Cases

APR 21 2025·Updated APR 23 2025

Story

Above: A box of biles for Measles Vaccinations offered by Harris Public Health is photographed on April 5, 2025, in Houston, Texas. Image credit: Raquel Natalicchio/Contributor/Houston Chronicle/Hearst Newspapers via Getty Images

The Facts

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported 800 confirmed measles cases across 27 states as of April, nearly triple the 285 cases reported in 2024, with 597 cases centered in West Texas.
ABC News
Breitbart
The eight states with confirmed cases include Louisiana, Virginia, and Missouri — all three instances are linked to international travel, with the Louisiana case involving unvaccinated individuals or those with unknown vaccination status. Michigan's first case was reported Thursday.
NBC
FOX News
Two unvaccinated elementary school-aged children in Texas have died from measles-related complications, marking the first measles deaths in the United States in a decade, with an additional death confirmed in New Mexico.
Independent
Breitbart
Of the 800 confirmed cases, 96% occurred in unvaccinated individuals or those with unknown vaccination status, while only 2% were fully vaccinated with two MMR doses.
CDC
The outbreak has resulted in 85 hospitalizations, with children under five years old accounting for the highest hospitalization rate at 19% of cases in their age group.
CDC
Several distinct outbreaks (defined as three or more related cases) have been reported across states including Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Oklahoma, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New Mexico.
New York Post
ABC News

Sources Split

LEFT

CENTER

RIGHT

ESTAB
CRIT

CENTER

PRO
ESTAB

The Spin

Pro-establishment narrative

The surge in measles cases, particularly in Texas and mostly among unvaccinated children, is no shock amid rampant conspiracy theories. Anti-vaccine groups, like Children's Health Defense, falsely claim the MMR vaccine causes measles, despite evidence showing all cases are wild-type virus. These baseless theories, amplified by so-called "natural health practitioners" with no medical degrees, fuel vaccine hesitancy, undermining vaccine campaigns and driving outbreaks.

NBC

University of Chicago News

Establishment-critical narrative

This so-called outbreak is being overblown by legacy media, dwarfed by 2 million annual cancer cases and over 600,000 cancer deaths. Measles' 0.1% fatality rate in kids doesn't justify the MMR push, despite bureaucrats and media leakers undermining RFK Jr.'s nuanced stance, challenging the favoring of industry over parental choice and honest risk assessment.