History of Measles in Timeline

Measles, also known as morbilli or rubeola, is a highly contagious infectious disease caused by the measles virus. It is preventable through vaccination. Other names include 9-day measles, red measles, and English measles.

1914: Measles Mortality Statistics

In 1914, a statistician estimated that measles caused 1% of all deaths in the temperate zone, with fatality rates varying from 1–6% depending on age, social conditions, and pre-existing health conditions.

1954: Measles virus isolated

In 1954, John Enders and Thomas C. Peebles isolated the measles virus from a 13-year-old boy, David Edmonston, in the United States.

1957: Presumptive Evidence of Immunity

Birth before 1957 is presumptive evidence of immunity to measles.

1957: Critical Community Size for Measles

In 1957, M.S. Bartlett recognized the concept of the critical community size (CCS) for measles, referring to the minimum number supporting measles.

1963: First measles vaccine

In 1963, Maurice Hilleman at Merck developed the first successful measles vaccine using the Edmonston B strain, making it widely available in the United States.

1968: Improved Measles Vaccine Available

In 1968, an improved measles vaccine became available.

1971: MMR vaccine licensed in the United States

In 1971, the measles vaccine was combined with the mumps and rubella vaccines to create the MMR vaccine, which was licensed for use in the United States.

1980: Measles Deaths Worldwide

In 1980, 2.6 million people died from measles.

1985: Measles Death Rate in the U.S.

Between 1985 and 1992, the death rate among reported measles cases in the U.S. was 0.2%.

1987: Measles Case Fatality Rate in the United States

Between 1987 and 2000, the case fatality rate across the United States was three deaths per 1,000 cases attributable to measles, or 0.3%.

1990: Measles Deaths Worldwide

In 1990, 545,000 people died due to measles.

1990: Worldwide Measles Deaths

In 1990, there were 630,000 measles deaths worldwide.

1991: Measles Outbreak in Philadelphia

In 1991, a measles outbreak in Philadelphia centered on the Faith Tabernacle Congregation, where vaccination was discouraged, resulting in over 1,400 infections and nine child deaths.

1992: Measles Death Rate in the U.S.

Between 1985 and 1992, the death rate among reported measles cases in the U.S. was 0.2%.

1992: Most Measles Cases since 1992

From January, to December 2019, 1,282 individual cases of measles were confirmed in 31 states. This is the greatest number of cases reported in the US since 1992.

1996: Measles Cases Before 2019

By 2019 cases had increased to a total of 870,000, the highest since 1996.

1997: Highest caseload in Europe since 1997

In 1997, the number of measles cases in Europe was lower than the amount reported in 2024 which registered 127,350 cases.

1999: Measles Deaths Worldwide

Globally, measles deaths fell 60% from an estimated 873,000 deaths in 1999 to 345,000 in 2005 due to a vaccination campaign led by partners in the Measles Initiative.

2000: Measles eliminated in the US

As of April 2019, there have been 695 cases of measles reported in 22 states. This is the highest number of measles cases since measles was declared eliminated in 2000.

2000: Measles Case Fatality Rate in the United States

Between 1987 and 2000, the case fatality rate across the United States was three deaths per 1,000 cases attributable to measles, or 0.3%.

2000: Measles at 1 case per million in the US

By 2000, consistent and widespread childhood vaccination had reduced measles cases in the United States to approximately 1 case per million people.

2000: United States declared free of circulating measles

In 2000, the United States was declared free of circulating measles due to widespread vaccination efforts.

2000: Establishment of the Global Measles and Rubella Laboratory Network

In 2000, the WHO established the Global Measles and Rubella Laboratory Network (GMRLN) to provide laboratory surveillance for measles, rubella, and congenital rubella syndrome.

2000: Measles Deaths Decrease Due to Vaccination

In 2000, vaccination resulted in an 80% decrease in deaths from measles between 2000 and 2017.

2000: Measles Deaths Compared to 2012

In 2012, the number of deaths due to measles was 78% lower than in 2000 due to increased rates of immunization among UN member states.

2001: Measles in the United States 2001 to 2011

From 2001 to 2011, there were 911 measles cases in the United States.

2001: Eradication of Rinderpest

In 2001, rinderpest, a cattle virus closely related to the measles virus, was eradicated.

2003: First Measles Fatality since 2003

The 2015 death in Washington state was the first measles related death in the US since 2003, when there was also a fatality.

2005: Measles Deaths Worldwide

Globally, measles deaths fell 60% from an estimated 873,000 deaths in 1999 to 345,000 in 2005 due to a vaccination campaign led by partners in the Measles Initiative.

2005: MMRV vaccine licensed

In 2005, the MMR vaccine was combined with the varicella vaccine to create the MMRV vaccine, which was licensed.

2007: Measles Mortality Rate in England and Wales

From 2007 to 2017, the death rate in England and Wales occurred between two and three cases out of 10,000.

2008: Measles Deaths Continue to Fall

Estimates for 2008 indicate deaths fell further to 164,000 globally, with 77% of the remaining measles deaths in 2008 occurring within the Southeast Asian region.

2011: Measles in the United States 2001 to 2011

From 2001 to 2011, there were 911 measles cases in the United States.

2011: Measles Virus Challenge

In 2011, German anti-vaccination campaigner Stefan Lanka offered €100,000 for scientific proof that measles is caused by a virus and determination of the virus's diameter, leading to a court case and international attention.

2011: WHO Estimates of Measles Deaths

In 2011, the WHO estimated that 158,000 deaths were caused by measles.

2012: Decrease in Measles Deaths Due to Immunization

In 2012, the number of deaths due to measles was 78% lower than in 2000 due to increased rates of immunization among UN member states.

2013: Measles Cases in Europe

In 2013, there were almost 10,000 measles cases in 30 European countries.

October 2014: Measles Outbreak in Berlin

Between October 2014 and March 2015, a measles outbreak in the German capital of Berlin resulted in at least 782 cases.

December 2014: Disneyland Measles Outbreak

In late December 2014, an outbreak originating from Disneyland in California led to 147 infections across seven U.S. states, Mexico, and Canada, primarily affecting unvaccinated individuals.

2014: Measles Deaths Decline

By 2014, global vaccination programs had reduced the number of deaths from measles to 73,000.

2014: Measles outbreak in Ohio

In 2014, an outbreak of measles was initiated in Ohio when two unvaccinated Amish men returned from missionary work in the Philippines, leading to 383 cases across nine counties.

2014: CDC states measles, rubella, and congenital rubella syndrome had not returned to the US

In 2014, the CDC stated that endemic measles, rubella, and congenital rubella syndrome had not returned to the United States.

2014: Vietnamese measles epidemic

In the Vietnamese measles epidemic in the spring of 2014, an estimated 8,500 measles cases were reported as of 19 April, with 114 fatalities; as of 30 May, 21,639 suspected measles cases had been reported, with 142 measles-related fatalities.

March 2015: Measles Outbreak in Berlin

Between October 2014 and March 2015, a measles outbreak in the German capital of Berlin resulted in at least 782 cases.

April 2015: Measles cases reported to the CDC

From January 4 to April 2, 2015, the CDC reported 159 cases of measles, with 70% linked to an exposure in late December 2014.

2015: First measles fatality in the U.S. since 2003

In 2015, a woman in Washington state, who was vaccinated but immunocompromised, died of pneumonia as a result of measles, marking the first U.S. measles-related fatality since 2003.

2015: First measles death since 2015

On 26 February 2025, the first measles death since 2015 was reported to be that of an unvaccinated school-aged child in West Texas.

August 2016: Measles outbreak in Myanmar

In August 2016, at least 40 children died during a measles outbreak in the Naga Self-Administered Zone in Myanmar, likely due to lack of vaccination.

2016: Global Measles Cases Decrease

Between 2000 and 2016, global cases decreased by 84%.

2016: Brazil wins a measles elimination certificate

Brazil won a measles elimination certificate by the Pan American Health Organization in 2016.

2016: Decreasing Measles Virus Genotypes

Data from 2016 to 2018 show that the most frequently detected measles virus genotypes are decreasing.

2016: Cochrane Review on Vitamin A Supplementation

In 2016, a Cochrane review found no trials that assessed whether vitamin A supplementation in children with measles prevents blindness.

2016: Record Low Measles Cases in Europe

In 2016, a record low of 4,400 measles cases were reported in Europe.

2016: Measles declared eliminated from the Americas

In 2016, measles was declared eliminated from the Americas due to widespread vaccination efforts.

2016: Measles Interrupted in Brazil

In 2016, the spread of measles had been interrupted in Brazil, with the last-known case twelve months earlier. This last case was in the state of Ceará.

June 2017: First case of measles in Maine in 20 years

In June 2017, the Maine Health and Environmental Testing Laboratory confirmed a case of measles in Franklin County, marking the first case in Maine in 20 years.

2017: Global Measles Vaccination Coverage

As of 2017, about 85% of children worldwide had received their first dose of the measles vaccine, which contributed to an 80% decrease in deaths from measles between 2000 and 2017.

2017: Measles Mortality Rate in England and Wales

From 2007 to 2017, the death rate in England and Wales occurred between two and three cases out of 10,000.

2017: Measles Resurgence in Europe

From 2017, a measles resurgence in Europe started to occur with numbers increasing in that year to 21,315 cases, with 35 deaths.

2017: Measles Deaths Globally

In 2017, 124,000 deaths were reported due to measles infection globally, slightly lower than 2018.

2017: Measles Reproductive Number Review

In 2017, a review of measles's reproductive number estimates provided a range of 3.7 to 203.3, varying beyond the frequently cited range of 12 to 18.

2017: Measles cases re-emerged in the Americas

In 2017, measles cases reappeared in the Americas despite the previous declaration of elimination.

2017: Brooklyn measles cases

There were only two cases in 2017 in the Orthodox Jewish areas of Brooklyn before a measles outbreak that would have 285 cases in 2018.

July 2018: Measles Case in Portland, Oregon

In July 2018, a measles case occurred in Portland, Oregon, exposing 500 people, with 40 lacking immunity and being monitored by county health officials.

August 2018: Measles outbreaks in Brazil

In August 2018, Brazil's Ministry of Health reported that the country had struggled to maintain its measles-free status, identifying two outbreaks in Amazonas and Roraima, as well as cases in other states totaling 1,053 confirmed cases. The contagion was related to the importation of the virus, especially from Venezuela.

October 2018: Measles Outbreak in Brooklyn

From October 2018 to February 2019, a measles outbreak in Brooklyn, New York, resulted in more than 200 reported cases, linked to the Orthodox Jewish community and an unvaccinated child who contracted measles in Israel.

2018: Measles as a Leading Cause of Vaccine-Preventable Deaths

As of 2018, measles remains a leading cause of vaccine-preventable deaths in the world.

2018: Measles Cases Increase

Cases reported in the first three months of 2019 were 300% higher than in the first three months of 2018, with outbreaks in every region of the world.

2018: Decreasing Measles Virus Genotypes

Data from 2016 to 2018 show that the most frequently detected measles virus genotypes are decreasing.

2018: Measles cases reappeared in the Americas

In 2018, measles cases reappeared in the Americas despite the previous declaration of elimination.

2018: Measles vaccination rate in Samoa

In 2018, the measles vaccination rate in Samoa was 31 to 34% prior to a measles outbreak.

2018: Increase in Measles Cases in Europe

In preliminary figures for 2018, reported cases in the European region increased 3-fold to 82,596 in 47 countries, with 72 deaths; Ukraine had the most cases (53,218).

2018: Brooklyn measles cases

There were 285 cases centred on the Orthodox Jewish areas of Brooklyn in 2018 during a measles outbreak.

February 2019: Measles Outbreak in Brooklyn

April 2019: Measles resurgence tied to vaccination choices

In April 2019, a resurgence of measles was generally tied to parents choosing not to have their children vaccinated, with cases first reported in Washington state in January. Also in April 2019, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio declared a public health emergency because of "a huge spike" in cases of measles.

April 2019: Highest number of measles cases since 2000

As of April 2019, there have been 695 cases of measles reported in 22 states which is the highest number of measles cases since measles was declared eliminated in 2000.

May 2019: Measles outbreak among Malaysian Orang Asli

From May 2019, a measles outbreak occurred among the Malaysian Orang Asli sub-group of Batek people in Kelantan, causing 15 deaths from the tribe.

August 2019: Measles outbreaks in Africa

As of August 2019, measles outbreaks were occurring in Angola, Cameroon, Chad, Nigeria, South Sudan and Sudan.

December 2019: 1,282 confirmed measles cases

From January to December 2019, 1,282 individual cases of measles were confirmed in 31 states in the US, marking the greatest number of cases reported since 1992.

December 2019: Measles vaccination in Samoa

In December 2019, a vaccination campaign in Samoa brought the measles vaccination rate to an estimated 94% of the eligible population following a measles outbreak.

2019: Increase in Global Measles Cases

By 2019 cases had increased to a total of 870,000, the highest since 1996.

2019: Measles Outbreak in Madagascar

In 2019, an outbreak of measles in Madagascar resulted in nearly 5,000 deaths and 250,000 infections, spreading to all provinces and primarily affecting children under five years of age. The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported this as the world's largest and fastest-moving epidemic.

2019: Measles cases reappeared in the Americas

In 2019, measles cases reappeared in the Americas despite the previous declaration of elimination.

2019: Countries Lose Measles-Free Status

In 2019, the United Kingdom, Albania, the Czech Republic, and Greece lost their measles-free status due to ongoing and prolonged spread of the disease in these countries. Also, in the first 6 months of 2019, 90,000 cases occurred in Europe.

2019: Increase in Measles Cases Worldwide

In 2019, the total number of measles cases worldwide climbed to 869,770.

2020: COVID-19 Pandemic Hinders Vaccination Campaigns

According to the WHO, in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic hindered vaccination campaigns in at least 68 countries, which caused increased risk of additional measles cases.

2020: Measles cases fell to pre-outbreak levels

Following the end of the 2019 outbreak, reported cases fell to pre-outbreak levels: 13 cases in 2020.

2020: Measles cases reappeared in the Americas

In 2020, measles cases reappeared in the Americas despite the previous declaration of elimination.

2021: Measles cases fell to pre-outbreak levels

Following the end of the 2019 outbreak, reported cases fell to pre-outbreak levels: 49 cases in 2021.

2022: Measles cases fell to pre-outbreak levels

Following the end of the 2019 outbreak, reported cases fell to pre-outbreak levels: 121 cases in 2022.

2022: Global Measles Deaths

In 2022, there were an estimated 136,000 measles deaths globally, mostly among unvaccinated or under vaccinated children under the age of 5 years.

2023: Increase in Measles Cases Reported by WHO and CDC

In November 2024, the WHO and CDC reported that measles cases increased by 20% in 2023, primarily due to insufficient vaccine coverage in the world's poorest and conflict-affected regions, increasing from about 8.6 to 10.3 million cases.

February 2024: WHO Warns of Measles Outbreak Risk

In February 2024, the World Health Organization said more than half of the world was at risk of a measles outbreak due to COVID-19 pandemic-related disruptions.

November 2024: WHO and CDC Report Increase in Measles Cases

In November 2024, the WHO and CDC reported that measles cases increased by 20% in 2023, primarily due to insufficient vaccine coverage in the world's poorest and conflict-affected regions.

2024: Measles Cases Recorded

As of March 2025, the CDC has recorded 483 confirmed cases which exceeds the entire 2024 total that was only 285.

2024: Measles Cases Increase in Europe

In 2024, Europe experienced a significant surge in measles cases, with 127,350 cases reported, marking the highest caseload since 1997. This figure represented one-third of the global measles cases.

2024: Measles outbreak in the Bangsamoro region

In 2024, a measles outbreak was declared in the Bangsamoro region in the Philippines with at least 592 cases and 3 deaths.

February 2025: Measles outbreak in Texas and New Mexico

As of February 2025, a measles outbreak is ongoing amongst unvaccinated communities in Texas and New Mexico. As of 26 February 2025, the confirmed number of measles cases in this outbreak is 124, according to the Texas Department of Health Services.

March 2025: CDC Records Measles Cases

As of March 2025, the CDC has recorded 483 confirmed measles cases across 20 states, 2 deaths and 70 hospitalized.

May 2025: Southwest United States Measles Outbreak

As of May 2025, during the Southwest United States measles outbreak, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., as Secretary of Health and Human Services, continued to endorse vitamin A as prevention and treatment for measles despite serious side effects and criticism.

2025: Vitamin A Use in 2025 U.S. Measles Outbreak

In the 2025 U.S. outbreak, children are presenting at hospitals with measles and hypervitaminosis A because their parents were administering vitamin A sources as attempts of protection before the children became ill with measles.