Measles is a highly contagious airborne disease caused by a virus, and can be severe or even fatal. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the best way to protect yourself against measles is to get vaccinated. Here, TIME answers all your questions about the vaccine.
Texas’ largest outbreak of measles in 30 years has reached 90 cases, the Texas Department of State Health Services said Friday. Thirty-two cases have been added since the department’s update earlier this week,
As of Feb. 20, there were a total of 93 measles cases reported in eight states: Alaska, California, Georgia, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York City, Rhode Island and Texas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For comparison, 285 cases were reported in the U.S. in 2024.
The U.S. declared measles eliminated in 2000 "thanks to a very high percentage of people receiving the safe and effective measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine," the CDC said, but now U.S. coverage among children of kindergarten age is below the 95 percent coverage target, which creates a higher risk for outbreaks of the virus.
Measles, a highly contagious airborne disease, can lead to severe health issues like blindness and pneumonia, with young children being most affected due to declining vaccination rates.