The measles outbreak in the United States is intensifying, with 2025 already marking the second-worst year for reported cases since the disease was declared eliminated in 2000. This resurgence has prompted significant health measures, particularly in North Dakota, where a recent outbreak has led local health officials to quarantine nearly 200 unvaccinated students.
In North Dakota, there have been nine reported cases of measles this year. The outbreak primarily affects schoolchildren in Williams County, located in the northwest region of the state. In response to this situation, local health authorities from the Upper Missouri District Health Unit have enforced a law requiring unvaccinated students to undergo a 21-day quarantine following exposure to the virus.
Families of 188 unvaccinated students in the Williston Basin School District No. 7 received notifications about the mandatory quarantine, which is crucial for curbing the spread of the highly contagious disease. Prior to the outbreak, district nurse coordinator Lynn Douglas proactively communicated the importance of vaccination and outlined quarantine procedures to all families.
In an email to CNN, Douglas emphasized the district's commitment to safeguarding the health and well-being of its students. “Having vaccine-preventable diseases circulating within a school would lead to large numbers of school absences and adversely affect the health of our students,” she stated. Douglas highlighted the significant risks associated with unvaccinated students, stating that they are more susceptible to serious complications from measles, a disease that is both highly contagious and preventable through vaccination.
According to Douglas, the Williston Basin School District prioritizes student safety by implementing measures to protect unvaccinated students and prevent the spread of illness within the community. She noted that to achieve this goal, exclusion of unvaccinated students from school is necessary.
As of 2025, there have been at least 1,018 reported cases of measles across the United States, according to a CNN tally that utilizes data from state health departments and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Although the CDC regularly publishes data on measles cases, it has refrained from providing specific numbers for each state, which may lead to underreported cases.
The majority of reported cases—at least 845—are linked to a significant outbreak centered in West Texas, which has since spread to New Mexico, Oklahoma, and possibly Kansas. Texas has reported 709 outbreak-associated cases, while New Mexico and Oklahoma have seen 71 and 17 cases, respectively. Kansas has also reported 48 cases that may be connected to this outbreak.
Experts are raising concerns that the current figures may represent a severe undercount, as many cases are likely going unreported. Since measles was declared eliminated in the U.S. in 2000, the only other year with over 1,000 cases was 2019, driven by large outbreaks in New York City and its suburbs.
Nationwide, the CDC has reported that 126 individuals have been hospitalized due to measles this year, which accounts for about 13% of all cases. Tragically, there have been three confirmed deaths associated with the multistate outbreak: two children in Texas and one adult in New Mexico, all of whom were unvaccinated.
Data from the CDC indicates that the overwhelming majority of 2025's measles cases involve unvaccinated individuals, with only about 4% of confirmed cases occurring in those who had received one or two doses of the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine. To date, there have been 14 total outbreaks across the nation, with at least 30 states reporting at least one case of measles this year.
The ongoing measles outbreaks serve as a stark reminder of the importance of vaccination in protecting public health. With the resurgence of this preventable disease, it is crucial for communities to prioritize vaccination efforts and ensure that children are adequately protected against measles and other vaccine-preventable diseases.
