Measles was considered eradicated in the United States in 2000. For the first time in 25 years, cases have reached a new high.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the U.S. is currently experiencing its worst measles outbreak in more than 30 years, according to the Associated Press. On Wednesday, the CDC said the 2025 case count has surpassed the 2019 count, when there were 1,274 cases for the year.

This year is the worst for measles spread in the U.S. since 1991. The news comes as Missouri has become the 18th state with an outbreak in 2025.

Measles cases in the U.S. reach a three-decade high, alarming York County families. YORK COUNTY, Pa. — Measles cases in the U.S. are rising. The cases are at the highest reported levels in three decades, and families in York County are concerned about the current outbreak.

Confirmed measles cases in the U.S. reached 1,288, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed on Wednesday, the highest since the childhood disease was declared eliminated from the country in 2000.

As of Tuesday, July 8, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control reports 1,288 confirmed measles cases, including nine in Utah, since January. That’s just 14 more than the 2019 high but far from 1991’s record of well above 9,600 cases.

Halfway through 2025, the US’s total annual measles cases have reached a level not seen in more than three decades.