Is 2024 Going to Be a Measles Year?

Do you remember big epidemics of measles every two or three years?

Most of you probably don’t remember when ‘we’ used to have regular, two to three year epidemics of measles. I know I don’t, as I grew up after a measles vaccine had been developed.

In 1958, the last really big measles year in the United States, there were at least 763,094 cases of measles and 552 measles deaths.

Before then though, we had predictable two to three year measles epidemics.

Not that things were terribly better during the other years. In 1957, for example, there were 486,799 cases and 389 deaths, just a little lower than the two measles years it was sandwiched between. As the article above states, 1956 was also a big year for measles, with 611,936 cases and 530 deaths.

So a lot of people still got measles each and every year, but during a ‘measles year,’ it was just worse!

Is 2024 Going to Be a Measles Year?

Although measles is no longer endemic in the United States and we don’t see these two or three year cycles anymore, there is plenty of evidence that we are in for a big measles year.

We have already had over 230 cases of measles in the United States in 2024.

Well, there is the simple fact that we have already seen over 200 cases of measles this year!

With over 230 cases, know that there have only been three years with more measles cases since 1996.

And since we started giving a second dose of MMR since the outbreaks in the late 1980s, getting over 200 cases in a year is actually kind of a big deal.

In fact, with over 230 cases, we are currently at the fourth highest number of cases since 1996!

Unfortunately, this is probably not going to be the really big measles year that we have to worry about. However many cases we see, all indications are that things will soon get even worse!

Rising global measles cases, increased travel, no big increases in vaccination rates…

Unless something changes, tragically, next year will be a measles year!

What needs to change?

To avoid measles in a high risk situation, especially if traveling out of the country, you should get your infant an early MMR (by 6 months), your toddler an early 2nd MMR (after 13 months), and everyone else at least two doses of MMR to help make sure they are protected.

Everyone needs to get vaccinated and protected!

Are you up-to-date with your MMR vaccine?