Measles Cases Hit 700, Soars To Highest In 5 Years! Whooping Cough Tally Close Behind

Amid declining vaccination rates and weakened public health systems, the U.S. faces a troubling resurgence of preventable childhood diseases like measles and whopping cough. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the United States has officially recorded 712 confirmed cases of measles across 24 states — the highest figure since 2019 and a number that’s rising week by week. This spike has put the nation on the brink of exceeding the 1,274 cases recorded in 2019, a milestone that would make this the worst measles outbreak in more than three decades, dating back to 1992.The majority of cases have emerged in western Texas, where health departments are battling an outbreak that began in January. According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, 541 cases have been reported in Texas alone, a jump of 36 in just a few days.Even more distressing: at least two confirmed deaths have occurred in school-aged, unvaccinated children, and a third fatality in an unvaccinated New Mexican adult is under investigation.Why Are Measles Cases Suddenly Spiking Again?Once considered eliminated from the U.S. in 2000, measles is making a worrying comeback. The key reason? Lagging vaccination rates.The CDC has confirmed that 97% of current cases are among the unvaccinated or those with unknown vaccination status. Only a tiny fraction (3%) had received one or both doses of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, which remains over 90% effective in preventing the disease.The agency recommends two MMR doses — the first at 12–15 months, and the second between 4–6 years of age. Still, vaccination coverage has dropped significantly since the COVID-19 pandemic, making communities more vulnerable.Who Is Most at Risk?Children remain the most affected demographic. The CDC reports that 11% of all measles patients this year have been hospitalized, most under the age of 19. The outbreak also places babies under one year — too young for their first MMR shot — at high risk of severe complications, including pneumonia, brain swelling, and death.These outcomes underscore the community-wide importance of high vaccination coverage: when the majority is protected, herd immunity shields those who can’t yet be vaccinated, such as newborns and immunocompromised individuals.Whooping Cough Isn’t Far BehindWhile measles has grabbed headlines, pertussis commonly known as whooping cough is surging just as dramatically — and with deadly consequences.After reaching historic lows during the pandemic, pertussis cases have skyrocketed by over 1,500% since 2021, with 10 deaths in 2024 — far exceeding the usual 2–4 deaths per year. Already in 2025, the CDC has documented 7,111 cases, more than double this time last year, and experts fear the numbers will spike further as we move into summer and fall.Recent fatalities include two infants in Louisiana, a child in Washington state (its first pertussis death in a decade), and others in Idaho, South Dakota, and Oregon, where two died last year.Why Are Vaccine Rates Dropping Fast?The sharp rise in both measles and whooping cough can be traced back to declining vaccination rates across the U.S. According to ProPublica’s analysis of federal data, at least 36 states have seen a drop in vaccination coverage for key childhood diseases since the 2013–14 school year. In some states — notably Wisconsin, Utah, and Alaska — the drop exceeds 10 percentage points.For instance, in Washington, kindergarten vaccination for whooping cough sits at 90.2%, just under the national average. But the coverage for toddlers between 19–35 months is just 65.4%, with some counties reporting rates below 12% — levels dangerously insufficient for community immunity.This crisis isn’t unfolding in a vacuum. Experts point to significant federal cuts to public health infrastructure, including staffing and vaccination programs, over the past decade. On top of that, vaccine misinformation and distrust have surged — exacerbated by political figures with anti-vaccine sentiments.Ironically, it wasn’t until two measles-related child deaths occurred in Texas that Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a known vaccine skeptic, acknowledged the importance of the MMR vaccine, calling it “the most effective way to prevent the spread of measles.” But the damage may already be unfolding.The measles virus is one of the most contagious pathogens known, capable of spreading via airborne droplets and lingering in a room for up to two hours. A single infected individual can transmit it to up to 90% of nearby unvaccinated people.Similarly, pertussis poses extreme danger to newborns, who can suffer from breathing pauses, brain damage, and pneumonia. The CDC urges pregnant women and caregivers of infants to receive the Tdap vaccine as a protective measure.Yet declining trust in vaccines, paired with cutbacks to preventive care access, poses a growing risk to public health — one that could usher in the return of once-contained diseases like polio, diphtheria, and hepatitis B.This isn’t just a momentary public health scare — it's a wake-up call. Vaccines are not just personal choices; they are public responsibilities. Each missed shot creates an opening for an outbreak, and each outbreak endangers the most vulnerable members of our society.

Measles Cases Hit 700, Soars To Highest In 5 Years! Whooping Cough Tally Close Behind

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