Measles Outbreaks in the U.S. Have Grown Much Harder to Contain

The United States is on the brink of surpassing last year's total measles cases, putting the country on track to set a new record before summer's end.

The impending milestone underscores how the country has entered a new phase in its battle with measles, with repeated new infections of the deadly disease igniting sustained outbreaks in multiple states rather than staying concentrated in a few undervaccinated communities.

Since an unvaccinated child in West Texas developed measles early last year, successive outbreaks have sickened thousands of people and have now spread to 39 states, including Ohio and the District of Columbia. Last year, the U.S. reported 2,288 measles cases, the highest since measles was eliminated in 2000 and the most in more than three decades. The U.S. is now poised to reach that level in roughly half the time, with 2,170 measles cases as of July 2, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

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