Measles cases surpass 4400 in US
Measles cases in the U.S. have surpassed 4,400 this year, prompting health communication experts to call for a change in how public health agencies discuss the disease. They argue that officials should acknowledge that most healthy children recover from measles, allowing for a more straightforward explanation of the real risks.
The debate comes as childhood vaccination coverage declines at the local level. A Johns Hopkins analysis found that MMR vaccination rates fell in 1,614 of 2,066 U.S. counties studied, comparing the years before and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Measles Cases Climb
The CDC reported 4,410 confirmed measles cases as of October 15, compared to 2,289 in all of 2025. There have been 42 new outbreaks this year, with 96% of cases linked to outbreaks. The agency lists three measles deaths in 2026, a figure subject to change.
Kindergarten vaccination rates for the MMR shot dropped from 95.2% in 2019–2020 to 92.4% in 2025–2026, leaving roughly 280,000 children without proof of full vaccination. Public health experts warn that outbreaks can spread when coverage falls below 95% in a community.
A New Approach to Messaging
Experts like Peter Sandman, a retired risk communication expert, and Katrine Wallace, an epidemiologist at the University of Illinois Chicago, suggest that agencies should acknowledge the high recovery rate among healthy children. This approach, they argue, would allow officials to explain the real risks of measles without relying on worst-case scenarios.
Patsy Stinchfield, executive director of the Measles Collaborative, proposes focusing on the misery of an average measles case, with days of high fever, cough, and a sick child at home. This approach, she believes, would be more effective in convincing parents to vaccinate their children.
The CDC reports that about 1 in 5 unvaccinated people who get measles is hospitalized, and nearly 1 to 3 of every 1,000 infected children die. Measles can also weaken the immune system after recovery.
In Pennsylvania, 66 pregnant women have been infected with measles this year, and at least six babies have been born with the disease. Infants too young for their first MMR dose depend on the people around them being immune, highlighting the importance of vaccination.
The CDC advises giving children two MMR doses—the first between 12 and 15 months, the second between 4 and 6 years—which provides about 97% effectiveness. Babies aged 6 to 11 months should get one dose before traveling abroad, followed by the standard two-dose schedule after their first birthday.
Experts argue that honest statistics can persuade parents to vaccinate their children. The CDC reports that about 1 in 20 children with measles develop pneumonia, and about 1 in 1,000 develop encephalitis.
Steps to Prevent Measles
According to a Johns Hopkins analysis, the average county rate dropped from 93.92% before the pandemic to 91.26% afterward, with only four states seeing county-level increases. Additionally, a FrameWorks survey found that describing vaccines as protecting the common good only modestly increased belief in their benefits, highlighting the need for a more effective messaging approach.
