Measles deaths return to the US after a decade aka consequence of what happens when you ignore science

Health officials in South Carolina just confirmed that at least 124 new measles cases have been reported since last Friday, adding significantly to an already worrying outbreak. This massive surge brings the total number of cases in the current outbreak to 434, and you can expect that number to keep climbing as the situation develops.

This news hits especially hard because we are seeing the direct, awful consequences of ignoring basic public health science. Last year, the United States recorded its first measles deaths in a full decade. It’s truly tragic, but three people died in 2025, and all of them were unvaccinated. That includes two school-aged children in Texas and one adult in New Mexico. When you look at the data, it’s clear that the overwhelming majority of people getting sick are those who haven’t received the necessary protection, per ABC News.

The national numbers from last year were absolutely staggering. The US saw 2,144 measles cases in 2025, which is the highest total recorded since way back in 1992. This highly contagious illness was reported in 44 states, proving that this isn’t just a regional problem; it’s a massive national regression. The data shows that nearly 50 outbreaks occurred across the country last year. That’s a huge jump compared to the 16 outbreaks recorded in 2024 and just four in 2023. Nearly 90% of those national cases were associated with defined outbreaks.

Measles is back, thank Trump

The current situation in South Carolina is intense. The outbreak began in early October, centered mostly in Spartanburg County, which is right on the border with North Carolina. Because measles is so easy to catch, health officials currently have over 400 people placed in quarantine to try to slow the spread. The problem isn’t staying put, either. Health departments in Georgia, Oregon, and Virginia have already reported their states’ first measles cases of 2026.

This is a completely preventable illness, which is what makes these numbers so frustrating. Health officials continue to push the measles, mumps, and rubella, or MMR, vaccination. The current recommendation is simple: people should receive two doses. The first dose is typically given when a child is between 12 and 15 months old, and the second dose is recommended between the ages of four and six years old.

The effectiveness of the vaccine is top-tier. Even just one dose provides 93% effectiveness against measles, but when you get both doses, that protection jumps up to 97%. You really can’t ask for a better shield against a disease that can lead to severe complications and, as we’ve seen, death.

The data confirms that this surge is directly tied to people skipping the shot. In 2025, a stunning 93% of all measles cases occurred among those who were unvaccinated or whose vaccination status couldn’t even be determined. Only a tiny fraction, 3%, were among people who had received just one dose, and only 4% occurred among those who received the recommended two doses. Those numbers tell you everything you need to know about where the risk lies.

What’s even worse is that vaccination rates are consistently slipping. Data shows that during the 2024-2025 school year, only 92.5% of kindergartners received the MMR vaccine. That’s lower than the 92.7% seen the year prior, and it’s significantly lower than the 95.2% recorded during the 2019-2020 school year, before the COVID-19 pandemic changed how we talk about vaccines.

When rates drop, herd immunity disappears, and preventable illnesses like measles come roaring back. It’s a huge disappointment to see these historic public health victories start to unravel simply because people are ignoring established science.