US measles outbreak costs $5.4 million, study shows

A study by the New Mexico Department of Health and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that containing the 2025 measles outbreak that spread from an undervaccinated community in Texas into New Mexico cost about $5.4 million. The outbreak involved 100 confirmed cases – 57 adults and 43 children – and required quarantine of 205 contacts and deployment of 133 public‑health responders.

The cost breakdown includes roughly $3.2 million for public‑health response activities, $2.1 million for vaccination‑related efforts, $290,000 in direct medical expenses, and about $1.6 million in productivity losses. This averages more than $53,000 per confirmed case. The study highlights the financial burden of measles outbreaks amid declining vaccination rates, noting that 2026 U.S. measles cases have already surpassed the 2025 total, the highest in 35 years.

The CDC declined to comment on the findings, and the New Mexico Department of Health did not immediately respond.