Health and Me

Rachel V Thomas

Unvaccinated Traveler Triggers Measles Outbreak in US, 17 Infected: CDC

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (<span>CDC</span>) has stated that an unvaccinated person who traveled to the US from Europe spread <span>measles</span> to 17 others in the country last year. 

In a paper published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases, the CDC highlighted the case of an unvaccinated traveler who arrived at the Denver International Airport in Colorado in May 2025. 

The person traveled with a fever, persistent <span>cough</span>, cold-like symptoms, and conjunctivitis (“pink eye”). He stayed overnight in a hotel and then boarded another flight to North Dakota. A day later, the person developed a rash. 

“The index case was in an unvaccinated adult. Aircraft contact investigations identified 135 exposed domestic travelers. Fifteen secondary cases were identified among people exposed during the international (5) and domestic (3) flights, and at the airport (7),” the CDC said in the paper. 

“Two tertiary case-patients were also identified. Five of the secondary case-patients had at least one documented prior measles <span>vaccination</span>,” it added. 

<h2>The 2025 <span rel="noindex">US Measles Outbreak</span> </h2>

While measles was declared eliminated in the US in 2000, and sporadic outbreaks were controlled quickly, falling vaccination rates, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, raise the risk of larger, harder-to-contain outbreaks. 

This was further compounded by the anti-vaccine stance of President <span>Donald Trump</span> and his Health Secretary <span>Robert F Kennedy Jr.</span> 

As per the CDC, a total of 2,281 confirmed measles cases were reported in the US in 2025. In 2026, the agency reported 10 new outbreaks, with more than 1,000 measles cases confirmed to date. More than 90 percent cases each year occurred in the unvaccinated. 

<h2>Air Travel Increases Measles Spread </h2>

Recently, two passengers from India infected with measles landed in Auckland, New Zealand, via Singapore Airlines. 

The Straits Times quoted Associate Professor Lim Poh Lian, group director of the Communicable Disease Agency’s (CDA) Communicable Disease Program, who noted that the individuals developed symptoms only while onboard the flight from Singapore to Auckland. 

“Measles transmission may occur during travel. Travelers with fever and other overt signs of transmissible illness, such as coughing or malaise, should be strongly encouraged to delay travel while symptomatic,” the US CDC said. 

<h2>Vaccination Key To Tackling Measles </h2>

Measles is a highly infectious disease characterized by the three Cs: 

<ul><li>Cough</li><li>Coryza or runny nose</li><li>Conjunctivitis or red and watery eyes</li></ul>

It easily spreads from one infected person to another through breaths, coughs, or sneezes and could cause severe disease, complications, and even death. 

Even though a safe and cost-effective vaccine is available, in 2024, there were an estimated 95,000 measles deaths globally, mostly among unvaccinated or under-vaccinated children under the age of 5 years, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

The CDC recommends that all travelers aged 6 months or older get vaccinated before international travel.

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The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has stated that an unvaccinated person who traveled to the US from Europe spread measles to 17 others in the country last year. In a paper published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases, the CDC highlighted the case of an unvaccinated traveler who arrived at the Denver International Airport in Colorado in May 2025. The person traveled with a fever, persistent cough, cold-like symptoms, and conjunctivitis (“pink eye”). He stayed overnight in a hotel and then boarded another flight to North Dakota. A day later, the person developed a rash. “The index case was in an unvaccinated adult. Aircraft contact investigations identified 135 exposed domestic travelers. Fifteen secondary cases were identified among people exposed during the international (5) and domestic (3) flights, and at the airport (7),” the CDC said in the paper. “Two tertiary case-patients were also identified. Five of the secondary case-patients had at least one documented prior measles vaccination,” it added. The 2025 US Measles Outbreak While measles was declared eliminated in the US in 2000, and sporadic outbreaks were controlled quickly, falling vaccination rates, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, raise the risk of larger, harder-to-contain outbreaks. This was further compounded by the anti-vaccine stance of President Donald Trump and his Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr. As per the CDC, a total of 2,281 confirmed measles cases were reported in the US in 2025. In 2026, the agency reported 10 new outbreaks, with more than 1,000 measles cases confirmed to date. More than 90 percent cases each year occurred in the unvaccinated. Air Travel Increases Measles Spread Recently, two passengers from India infected with measles landed in Auckland, New Zealand, via Singapore Airlines. The Straits Times quoted Associate Professor Lim Poh Lian, group director of the Communicable Disease Agency’s (CDA) Communicable Disease Program, who noted that the individuals developed symptoms only while onboard the flight from Singapore to Auckland.  “Measles transmission may occur during travel. Travelers with fever and other overt signs of transmissible illness, such as coughing or malaise, should be strongly encouraged to delay travel while symptomatic,” the US CDC said. Vaccination Key To Tackling Measles Measles is a highly infectious disease characterized by the three Cs: CoughCoryza or runny noseConjunctivitis or red and watery eyesIt easily spreads from one infected person to another through breaths, coughs, or sneezes and could cause severe disease, complications, and even death.  Even though a safe and cost-effective vaccine is available, in 2024, there were an estimated 95,000 measles deaths globally, mostly among unvaccinated or under-vaccinated children under the age of 5 years, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).The CDC recommends that all travelers aged 6 months or older get vaccinated before international travel.