As Measles Cases Surge, Mexico Issues a US Travel Alert
1 min read
Summary
Mexico has reported 583 confirmed cases of measles so far this year, significantly higher than the seven confirmed cases in the whole of Mexico in 2024, with most of them recorded in the border state of Chihuahua, where the number of cases has risen to 713 as of April 27.
The outbreak in Chihuahua is due to its proximity to the US state of Texas, where a major ongoing outbreak was first recorded in January, and cases in Mexico are thought to have come from across the border.
The US itself has recorded 884 confirmed cases this year, a huge increase on the 285 cases in 2024, and three deaths from the disease.
To try and prevent the highly contagious disease from spreading further throughout Mexico, the country’s Ministry of Health has issued a travel warning for the US and Canada and urged any travellers to make sure they are up-to-date with their vaccinations.
Falling vaccination rates are believed to be driving up cases in Mexico, as in the US, where 98 percent of cases this year have been in people with no history of vaccination against measles.
