US measles cases are undercounted, experts say, but real numbers are proving hard to pin down
Source: CNN
By Jen Christensen, CNN
Published 7:30 AM EDT, Tue April 15, 2025
During a Cabinet meeting last week, US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. downplayed what is now the second-worst measles outbreak in the US since the disease was declared eliminated in 2000.
Kennedy has claimed repeatedly that measles cases have “plateaued,” despite contradictory data from his own federal agencies.
On Friday, the health department in Texas – the center of the outbreak that now spans multiple states – reported 232 new cases over the past three weeks, 42% more than in the three weeks before that. New outbreaks have also been reported in Indiana and Ohio.
Overall, there have been at least 735 cases in 24 states this year, according to CNN’s tally.
US Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., left, speaks during a Cabinet meeting Thursday. Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images
Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/15/health/measles-undercount-public-health/index.html
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