CDC reports more than 1,000 measles cases in 2025, the most intense hit state in Texas
With less than 5% of Texas cases being vaccinated, health officials are underscoring the urgent need for an increase in measles vaccination rates in the community.
Scripps News
WASHINGTON, May 14 (Reuters) – Americans are worried about the Trump administration’s ability to contain the ongoing outbreak of measles, but the majority of them believe that a vaccine for the disease is safe, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll.
Only 31% of respondents in the two-day poll, which closed on May 13, agreed to a statement that the administration was dealing with the measles outbreak responsibly, but 40% opposed, with the rest uncertain or not answering questions.
The US is currently facing one of the biggest measles outbreaks in 25 years, surpassing the 1,000 mark last week.
Measles, mumps and rubella vaccines prevented 97% of cases after two doses and high adoption of the MMR vaccine. As a result, it was declared excluded by the World Health Organization in 2000. Nevertheless, vaccination rates among children in the US have been declining in recent years, resulting in experts being skeptical about the vaccine and misinformation.
The majority of Americans still consider the MMR vaccine safe. Approximately 86% of respondents in the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll said it is safe for children. That’s a slightly higher share than the 84% that was conducted early in the Covid pandemic in a Reuters/Ipsos poll in May 2020. Approximately 13% of respondents in the latest poll said the vaccine is not safe for children, which has risen slightly from 10% five years ago.
The most recent poll surveying 1,163 US adults nationwide had a 3% point error.
Infectious disease experts are concerned that comments from health and human services secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who provided a complex message about the severity of the disease and the safety and efficacy of the vaccine, could further exacerbate vaccine hesitation.
Dr. Sean O’Leary, chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Infectious Diseases Committee, said he was encouraged by the high level of confidence in the MMR vaccine given a message from the Trump administration.
“I feel a little better knowing that the public perceives that a lot of the information we are seeing right now from the administration is not accurate,” Ollary said.
Kennedy, who became the country’s best health officer in February, says he’s not opposed to the vaccine. He says it’s the best way to prevent measles.
“Chief Kennedy and HHS have deployed thousands of MMR vaccine shots and repeatedly promoted measles vaccinations in media interviews, social media posts and official statements,” White House spokesman Kush Desai said in an email. “HHS is investing $500 million in ambitious universal vaccine projects under the leadership of Secretary Kennedy.”
Obligation to vaccinate children
Approximately 76% of respondents in the Reuters/Ipsos poll, including both Republican and Democrat majority, agreed to a statement that it is the duty of all parents to vaccinate their children into measles. However, one in four Republicans disagreed.
Vaccination rates are falling in the US.
During the 2019-2020 academic year, 95.2% of kindergarteners across the country completed a two-dose MMR vaccine series. This exceeds the 95% threshold required to protect non-vaccinated individuals from non-connected diseases through herd immunity, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
According to the CDC, the measles vaccination rate between 2023 and 2024 fell to 92.7%.
Within the state, pockets of unvaccinated populations have even lower vaccination rates. In Gaines County, Texas, only 82% of kindergarten children, the epicenter of the outbreak that infected more than 700 people and killed two unvaccinated children, are fully vaccinated.
The Texas outbreak spread to Kansas, Oklahoma and New Mexico, where an adult died of illness.
Dr. Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security Center, said most Americans are happy with the MMR vaccine, which is reflected in the high vaccination rates.
The problem is that it can hide pockets of vaccination coverage, which have very low numbers of vaccinations nationwide.
“You really have to look at these pockets,” Adalja said. “That’s what makes us so vulnerable.”
Approximately 55% of respondents in the Reuters/Ipsos poll said they are worried about the outbreak of measles – well below the 80% who are worried about being fired from their jobs and are worried about rising inflation.
Only 32% of poll respondents said they believe the current administration will stop the current outbreak and prevent measles from becoming a common disease again.
