There have been 935 confirmed cases in the U.S. as of May 1, according to the latest CDC data.
This marks the second largest outbreak in the U.S. since 2000, when measles was declared eliminated, NBC News reported May 2. More than 1,200 cases were reported in 2019.
Here are five things to know:
- The CDC has reported 935 cases in 30 jurisdictions, more than triple last year’s total of 285. As of last week, Illinois confirmed its fourth measles case. The Illinois Department of Health reported that three earlier cases appeared in Chicago, the Cook County suburbs and southern Illinois.
- Twelve outbreaks, or a cluster of three or more cases, account for 93% of total cases this year. This compares to just 69% of cases being outbreak-related in 2024. Unvaccinated or unknown vaccination status accounts for 96% of infections.
- Texas remains at the center of the measles surge, with 683 measles cases reported by the Texas Department of State Health Services, including two deaths in unvaccinated children.
- HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has directed the CDC to explore measles treatments using drugs and vitamins, CBS News reported May 1. Proposed therapies include drugs budesonide, a steroid used for lung inflammation, and clarithromycin, an antibiotic, along with Vitamin A. Mr. Kennedy claims the therapies have shown “miraculous and instantaneous recovery” in some cases. These statements were widely disputed by infectious disease experts and pediatricians who warn the therapies can be harmful if used.
- The American Academy of Pediatrics and CDC emphasized that vaccination remains the only proven and effective way to prevent measles.
“There is no cure for measles, and it can result in serious complications. It’s misleading and dangerous to promote the idea that measles is easily treated using unproven and ineffective therapies like budesonide and clarithromycin,” AAP said.