It’s rare that something deemed extinct comes back to life. However, diseases can never be fully eradicated from society as long as some people are still susceptible. As of April 8, 2025, there have been 600 cases of measles in the U.S. so far this year. Before the vaccine was created, the CDC states that there were 48,000 people hospitalized each year, with 400-500 dying due to the virus.
Measles is a highly contagious disease, most dangerous to children under five years old. According to the CDC, symptoms begin to show seven to 14 days after contracting the virus, and can include high fever, rash, cough, runny nose, and red or watery eyes. The disease can affect anyone unprotected, and the best way for someone to protect themselves is to get vaccinated. The measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine was introduced in 1963, however, there was also a recommended booster shot created in 1989. With both doses, there is a 97% chance of safety from the disease, and a 93% with one vaccine.
Measles is the easiest contracted during times of high travel, such as spring breaks or any time where people leave the U.S. en masse, considering the U.S. is one of the only countries that had been deemed measles-free. However, this has changed quickly.
This virus is airborne, as stated in the CDC. It spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes, and the virus can be in the air up to two hours after the person has left the area.
As of this year, the amount of measles cases is rising at rates that haven’t been seen in a decade. This outbreak began in western Texas, where 480 of the 600 cases recorded in the U.S. took place. There have been two deaths, one six-year-old girl and one eight-year-old girl. Both were unvaccinated, according to BBC.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. paid a visit to the families after the second death, and NBC stated that his “intention was to come down here quietly to console the families and to be with the community in their moment of grief.” While he is said to be uneasy about vaccines, even Kennedy has put out statements about how vaccinations are the best way to prevent contracting the virus.
To get children vaccinated during an outbreak, babies can be as young as six months old to get the MMR. While beliefs can vary regarding the use of vaccines, staying safe and healthy by avoiding tight spaces with many people or areas of outbreak can help prevent infection.
