In The Politics of Autism, I analyze the myth that vaccines cause autism. This bogus idea can hurt people by allowing diseases to spread. Examples include measles, COVID, flu, and polio. A top antivaxxer is HHS Secretary RFK Jr. He is part of the "Disinformation Dozen." He helped cause a deadly 2019 measles outbreak in Samoa.
As of August 5, 2025, a total of 1,356 confirmed* measles cases were reported by 41 jurisdictions: Alaska, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York City, New York State, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
There have been 32 outbreaks** reported in 2025, and 87% of confirmed cases (1,177 of 1,356) are outbreak-associated. For comparison, 16 outbreaks were reported during 2024 and 69% of cases (198 of 285) were outbreak-associated.
*CDC is aware of probable measles cases being reported by jurisdictions. However, the data on this page only includes confirmed cases.
**CDC reports the cumulative number of measles outbreaks (defined as 3 or more related cases) that have occurred this year in the U.S.; states have the most up-to-date information about cases and outbreaks in their jurisdictions....
AgeVaccination Status
- Under 5 years: 386 (28%)
- 5-19 years: 501 (37%)
- 20+ years: 462 (34%)
- Age unknown: 7 (1%)
U.S. Hospitalizations in 2025 13% of cases hospitalized (171 of 1356).
- Unvaccinated or Unknown: 92%
- One MMR dose: 4%
- Two MMR doses: 4%
Percent of Age Group HospitalizedU.S. Deaths in 2025 There have been 3 confirmed deaths from measles.
- Under 5 years: 21% (82 of 386)
- 5-19 years: 8% (40 of 501)
- 20+ years: 11% (49 of 462)
- Age unknown: 0% (0 of 7)
Elizabeth Williams, Jennifer Kates, and Josh Michaud at KFF:
Routine vaccination rates for kindergarten children continue to decline in the U.S., while exemptions from school vaccination requirements, particularly non-medical exemptions, have increased. These trends began during the COVID-19 pandemic and have continued over time (Figure 1). Recent trends appear to be related to increasing vaccine hesitancy, fueled in part by vaccine misinformation. The past few years have seen more skepticism among the public about the safety and effectiveness of measles vaccines, a decline in trust of health authorities in general, and increasingly partisan views on vaccine requirements.
