Full History Of Measles In Timeline From 1914

1914: Measles mortality statistics

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

1954: Isolation of the Measles Virus

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

1957: Presumptive Evidence of Measles Immunity

Birth before 1957 is presumptive evidence of measles immunity, because those born before 1957 are likely to have been naturally infected with the measles virus.

1957: Critical Community Size for Measles

In 1957, M.S. Bartlett recognized the concept of critical community size (CCS) for measles, which refers to the minimum population size needed to sustain the disease. Analysis of outbreaks in island communities suggested that the CCS for measles is around 250,000.

1963: First Measles Vaccine

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

1968: Improved measles vaccine

In 1968, an improved measles vaccine became available, enhancing the effectiveness of measles prevention.

1971: Licensing of the MMR vaccine

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 U.S.

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 from measles.

1990: Worldwide Measles Deaths

In 1990, there were 630,000 deaths due to measles globally.

1991: Measles outbreak in Philadelphia

In 1991, Philadelphia experienced a significant measles outbreak centered around the Faith Tabernacle Congregation, a church discouraging vaccination, resulting in over 1400 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: Greatest number of measles cases reported in the US 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: Increase in Measles Cases Worldwide

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

1997: Increase in Measles Cases in Europe

In 2024, a significant increase in measles cases in Europe occurred, with 127,350 being reported, the highest caseload in the region since 1997.

1999: Measles Deaths Worldwide

Worldwide, measles fell 60% from an estimated 873,000 deaths in 1999 to 345,000 in 2005.

2000: Measles elimination in the US

As of April 2019, the number of measles cases was the highest since measles was declared eliminated in the US in 2000.

2000: Measles Case Fatality Rate in the U.S.

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 Death Reduction Due to Vaccination

Between 2000 and 2017, vaccination led to an 80% decrease in deaths from measles.

2000: Measles cases fall to 1 per million in the US

By 2000, consistent widespread childhood vaccination efforts 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 successful immunization programs.

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: 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.

2001: Measles cases in the US from 2001 to 2011

From 2001 to 2011, there were 911 cases of measles reported in the United States after the country was declared free of the disease.

2001: Eradication of Rinderpest

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

2003: Last Measles Fatality in the US Before 2015

Before the measles-related death in Washington State in 2015, the last such fatality in the United States had occurred in 2003.

2005: Licensing of the MMRV vaccine

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

2005: Measles Deaths Worldwide

Worldwide, measles fell 60% from an estimated 873,000 deaths in 1999 to 345,000 in 2005.

2007: Measles Mortality Rate in England and Wales

From 2007 to 2017 in England and Wales, death occurred in two to three cases out of 10,000 due to measles.

2008: Global Measles Deaths

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

2011: Measles cases in the US from 2001 to 2011

From 2001 to 2011, there were 911 cases of measles reported in the United States after the country was declared free of the disease.

2011: Stefan Lanka's Measles 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 its diameter, claiming it's psychosomatic. Despite evidence from German physician David Bardens, Lanka refused to pay, leading to a court case where he was initially ordered to pay, but later not required to due to the evidence's failure to meet his exact requirements. The case gained international attention.

2011: WHO Estimate 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 2013–14, there were almost 10,000 measles cases in 30 European countries, with most cases occurring in unvaccinated individuals, and over 90% of cases occurring in Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Romania, and United Kingdom.

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, a measles outbreak originated at Disneyland in California, eventually infecting 147 people in the US, Mexico, and Canada; the majority of those infected were either unvaccinated or had unknown vaccination status, the initial exposure of the virus was never identified.

2014: Measles Deaths Reduced by Vaccination Programs

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 started in Ohio after two unvaccinated Amish men returned from missionary work in the Philippines, leading to 383 cases across nine counties, with 89% occurring in unvaccinated individuals.

2014: CDC statement on endemic measles

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 spring of 2014, Vietnam experienced a measles epidemic, with an estimated 8,500 cases and 114 fatalities reported by April 19.

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, 70% of which were linked to an earlier exposure in December 2014.

2015: First Measles Death Since 2015

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

2015: Measles death in Washington State

In 2015, a woman in Washington state, who had been vaccinated but was taking immunosuppressive drugs, died of pneumonia as a result of contracting measles, marking the first measles fatality in the U.S. since 2003.

August 2016: Measles outbreak in Myanmar

In August 2016, a measles outbreak in the Naga Self-Administered Zone in Myanmar resulted in at least 40 children's deaths, likely due to lack of vaccination and poor health infrastructure.

2016: Measles Elimination in the Americas

As a result of widespread vaccination, measles was declared eliminated from the Americas in 2016.

2016: Global Cases Decreased

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

2016: Decrease in Measles Virus Genotypes

Data from 2016 to 2018 show that the most frequently detected measles virus genotypes are decreasing, suggesting that increasing global population immunity has decreased the number of chains of transmission.

2016: Brazil wins measles elimination certificate

In 2016, Brazil was awarded a measles elimination certificate by the Pan American Health Organization.

2016: Record Low Measles Cases in Europe

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

2016: Measles interrupted in Brazil

In 2016, the spread of measles had been interrupted in Brazil. The last known case had occurred twelve months earlier in the state of Ceará.

June 2017: First Measles Case 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: Measles Vaccination Statistics

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

2017: Measles Cases Reappear in the Americas

Despite being declared eliminated in 2016, there were measles cases again in 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020 in the Americas region.

2017: Measles Mortality Rate in England and Wales

From 2007 to 2017 in England and Wales, death occurred in two to three cases out of 10,000 due to measles.

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 Reproductive Number Estimates

In 2017, a review indicated that measles's reproductive number estimates range from 3.7 to 203.3, which goes beyond the frequently cited range of 12 to 18.

2017: Measles cases in Brooklyn

In 2017, there were only two cases of measles centred on the Orthodox Jewish areas of Brooklyn, compared to 285 cases in 2018.

2017: Global Measles Deaths

In 2018, there were 142,300 measles related deaths globally, of which most cases were reported from African and eastern Mediterranean regions. These estimates were slightly higher than that of 2017, when 124,000 deaths were reported due to measles infection globally.

July 2018: Measles Exposure in Portland, Oregon

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

August 2018: Measles Outbreaks in Brazil

By August 1, 2018, Brazil had identified two measles outbreaks, one in Amazonas and another in Roraima, in addition to cases in Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul, Pará, São Paulo, and Rondônia, totaling 1,053 confirmed cases, primarily linked to virus importation from Venezuela.

October 2018: Measles outbreak in Brooklyn

In October 2018, a measles outbreak began in Brooklyn, New York, with more than 200 reported cases by February 2019, tied to population density in the Orthodox Jewish community and initial exposure from an unvaccinated child visiting 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: Increase in Measles Cases Globally

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: Decrease in Measles Virus Genotypes

Data from 2016 to 2018 show that the most frequently detected measles virus genotypes are decreasing, suggesting that increasing global population immunity has decreased the number of chains of transmission.

2018: Measles Cases Reappear in the Americas

Despite being declared eliminated in 2016, there were measles cases again in 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020 in the Americas region.

2018: Large measles outbreak

In 2018, a large measles outbreak resulted in well beyond 115,000 cases and over 1,200 deaths.

2018: Measles vaccination rate in Samoa

In 2018, the measles vaccination rate in Samoa was between 31 and 34%.

2018: Global Measles Deaths

In 2018, there were 142,300 measles related deaths globally, of which most cases were reported from African and eastern Mediterranean regions. These estimates were slightly higher than that of 2017, when 124,000 deaths were reported due to measles infection globally.

2018: Measles cases in Brooklyn

In 2018, there were 285 cases of measles centred on the Orthodox Jewish areas of Brooklyn, compared to two cases in 2017.

February 2019: Measles outbreak in Brooklyn continues

By February 2019, the measles outbreak that began in October 2018 in Brooklyn, New York, had resulted in more than 200 reported cases.

April 2019: Measles Resurgence and Public Health Emergency in New York

In April 2019, a resurgence of measles cases was reported across multiple US states, and New York Mayor Bill de Blasio declared a public health emergency in response to a significant spike of 285 cases in the Orthodox Jewish areas of Brooklyn in 2018, contrasting with only two cases in 2017, and an additional 168 cases in neighboring Rockland County.

April 2019: Highest Number of Measles Cases Since 2000

As of April 2019, 695 cases of measles had been reported in 22 states, marking the highest number since measles was declared eliminated in the US in 2000.

May 2019: Measles outbreak among Malaysian Orang Asli

Beginning in May 2019, a measles outbreak occurred among the Malaysian Orang Asli sub-group of Batek people in Kelantan, causing 15 deaths within 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: Measles cases in the US

From January to December 2019, 1,282 individual cases of measles were confirmed across 31 states in the US, with 128 hospitalizations and 61 reported complications, including pneumonia and encephalitis.

December 2019: Measles vaccination rate in Samoa

In December 2019, a vaccination campaign in Samoa brought the measles vaccination rate to an estimated 94% of the eligible population, up from 31-34% in 2018.

2019: Increase in Measles Cases Worldwide

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

2019: Measles Cases Reappear in the Americas

Despite being declared eliminated in 2016, there were measles cases again in 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020 in the Americas region.

2019: Measles outbreak with nearly 5,000 deaths

In 2019, a measles outbreak with nearly 5,000 deaths and 250,000 infections occurred after the disease spread to all provinces in the country, primarily affecting children under five, and was reported by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the world's largest and fastest-moving epidemic.

2019: Loss of 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.

2020: Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Vaccination Campaigns

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

2020: Measles Cases Reappear in the Americas

Despite being declared eliminated in 2016, there were measles cases again in 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020 in the Americas region.

2020: Measles cases fell to pre-outbreak levels

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

2021: Measles cases fell to pre-outbreak levels

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

2022: Measles Deaths Globally

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 Globally

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: Risk of Measles Outbreak Due to COVID-19 Disruptions

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: Increase in Measles Cases Globally

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.

2024: Total measles cases

As of March 2025, the CDC recorded 483 confirmed measles cases. This exceeded the entire 2024 total of 285.

2024: Measles Outbreak in the Philippines

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

2024: Increase in Measles Cases in Europe

In 2024, a significant increase in measles cases in Europe occurred, with 127,350 being reported, the highest caseload in the region since 1997.

February 2025: Measles Outbreak and First Measles Death Since 2015

As of February 2025, a measles outbreak was ongoing amongst unvaccinated communities in Texas and New Mexico, with the first measles death since 2015 reported on 26 February, involving an unvaccinated school-aged child in West Texas; the confirmed number of measles cases was 124 as of 26 February 2025, according to the Texas Department of Health Services, most of them being children ages 5–17.

March 2025: CDC records measles cases and deaths

As of March 2025, the CDC recorded 483 confirmed measles cases across 20 states, 2 deaths, and 70 hospitalizations, exceeding the entire 2024 total of 285.

May 2025: Measles Outbreak in Southwest U.S. and Vitamin A Controversy

In May 2025, during the Southwest United States measles outbreak, families refused vaccines and opted for vitamin A supplements after Robert F. Kennedy Jr. promoted vitamin A as prevention. Despite side effects and criticism, Kennedy continued to endorse vitamin A during the epidemic.

2025: Vitamin A Treatment and Hypervitaminosis A during 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 (supplements or cod liver oil) as attempts of protection before the children became ill with measles.