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The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is issuing a warning about additional measles cases ahead of travel season.
In new guidance delivered on April 27, the CDC urged public health agencies across the U.S. to be prepared for more measles cases in the coming months.
“With continued measles transmission in areas across North America and expected increases in international and domestic travel and large events during spring and summer, additional measles cases are anticipated in the coming months,” the agency said.
Measles is a highly contagious airborne viral infection that can spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes. People can also be infected by breathing contaminated air, where it remains infectious for up to two hours, or by touching their mouth, eyes, or nose after coming in contact with a contaminated surface.
Measles symptoms typically appear seven to 14 days after contact with the virus and often include high fever, cough, runny nose, and watery eyes. The two-dose MMR vaccine is 97% effective in preventing the disease.
The CDC estimates that about 1 in 5 unvaccinated people in the United States who get measles will need hospitalization.
The guidance advised public health agencies to document and report details of each case of measles, including close contacts and locations visited while a person was infectious. Active surveillance should be conducted to identify any additional suspected cases and quickly transport specimens for laboratory confirmation, the guidance said.
The agency encouraged outreach to under-vaccinated communities and suggested using state-based syndromic surveillance systems to detect changes in health care–seeking behavior for fever and rash illnesses or signs of vitamin A toxicity. The CDC said 1,792 confirmed measles cases have been reported across the country this year as of April 23.
CDC data shows that in 2025, a total of 2,288 confirmed measles cases were reported across the United States. Among those cases, 2,263 were recorded in 44 states, while 25 cases were in international visitors to the country.
Ninety-three percent of the country’s measles cases in 2025 occurred in patients who either had not been vaccinated or had an unknown vaccination status. The agency said vaccination coverage among U.S. kindergartners has decreased from 95.2% during the 2019–2020 school year to 92.5% in the 2024–2025 school year.
Adults born before 1957 are presumed to have acquired immunity from measles, since they most likely had the disease during childhood, according to the CDC.
Measles was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000, meaning there were no new cases reported for over 12 months. But after cases reached record highs last year, that elimination status is now up for debate.
In April 2024, Dr. Bruce Farber, Chief of Public Health and Epidemiology for Northwell Health, said in an interview with PEOPLE that he believes the U.S. may no longer be able to consider measles eliminated after the rise in cases in early 2024.
“To be honest, I think we have lost our elimination status already,” he said. “How can you say we’re measles-free when we’re seeing measles?”