Measles is making a comeback, and the outbreak isn’t just costing Americans their health. The surge is also costing the U.S. economy millions.
In 2025, the United States experienced the largest number of measles cases since its elimination in 2000. Falling vaccination rates fueled the surge, which has roared back with 5,182 cases reported in 2026 alone as of early November, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
For some context, a total of 2,289 cases were confirmed in 2025—less than half of what we are seeing so far this year. Hardest hit is the state of Pennsylvania, where six people have died. In addition, one person has died in New York and another in Wisconsin. The CDC’s most recent map shows measles cases in almost all U.S. states.
The costs could continue to rise as the epidemic gets worse, according to a new tool from Johns Hopkins University, which calculated the cost for the outbreak in 2025 at more than $37 million. Overall, the tool estimates the measles outbreak has cost nearly $83 million, including $56 million for the public health response, $25 million in lost productivity, and more than $1.8 million in medical expenses.
That analysis looked at measles outbreaks across 18 states, and found it costs about $250,000 initially to respond to each outbreak, regardless of its size, plus roughly $16,300 per additional case.
“Whether it’s one case or 20 cases, those initial mobilization costs are incurred,” measles study coauthor Bryan Patenaude, a health economist at the International Vaccine Access Center (IVAC) at JHU in Baltimore, said in a release. “As additional cases are identified, additional resources are needed, but it is really that initial response effort driving the high price tag of even small outbreaks.”
On top of that, the U.S. is expected to lose its official measles elimination status, which is being reviewed this week by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).
What to know about measles
Measles is a very contagious disease caused by a virus, per a fact sheet from the CDC.
It can be dangerous, especially for babies and young children, and spreads through the air when a sick person coughs or sneezes. The virus can stay in the air for two hours after a person with measles leaves the space.
It is so contagious that about 9 out of 10 people who come near a person with measles and are not protected by vaccination will also become infected.