(C) South Dakota Searchlight
This story was originally published by South Dakota Searchlight and is unaltered.
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Measles reaches highest US level in 33 years; SD cases rise to 12 • South Dakota Searchlight [1]
['Tim Henderson', 'Amanda Hernández', 'Makenzie Huber', 'Anna Claire Vollers', 'More From Author', '- July', 'Stateline', '.Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Coauthors.Is-Layout-Flow', 'Class', 'Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus']
Date: 2025-07-11
Measles cases have surpassed a recent 2019 record to reach the highest level since 1992, with at least 1,289 cases reported in 39 states.
South Dakota has reported 12 cases since May — eight in Lincoln County, and two apiece in Meade and Pennington counties. The state has also reported one hospitalization and zero deaths. Ten of the cases are in unvaccinated people, and the vaccination status is unknown in the other two cases. Seven of the cases are children and five are adults.
The milestone comes as health officials are increasingly alarmed by vaccine skepticism gaining a voice in the Trump Administration’s Health and Human Services Administration under Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Pediatricians and public health associations filed a federal lawsuit this week challenging a May directive by Kennedy, claiming it “creates barriers” to vaccination for pregnant women and young children.
“Because of his name and profile, Mr. Kennedy has been instrumental in increasing the levels of vaccine hesitancy and skepticism in this country,” the lawsuit states. “The Secretary’s dismantling of the vaccine infrastructure must end.”
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Wednesday that there were 1,288 cases in 38 states, surpassing the 2019 level of 1,274. South Carolina later reported its own first case of the year, an unvaccinated international traveler in the northwestern Upstate area of the state.
Wyoming reported its first measles case since 2010 on July 1, an unvaccinated child in Natrona County.
Other states recently joining the list: North Carolina reported its first case of the year June 24, in a child visiting Forsyth and Guilford counties from another country. And Oregon reported a case the same day for a person identified only as an unvaccinated international traveler sickened in June after returning to the Portland area.
“We’re here to tell you that measles is now in Oregon, and if you’re not vaccinated, you are susceptible,” said Dr. Paul R. Cieslak, medical director for communicable diseases and immunizations at the Oregon Health Authority’s Public Health Division, in in a statement.
Measles is one of the most contagious diseases and can spread rapidly among unvaccinated people.
Utah reported its first case June 20, an unvaccinated person with no recent travel out of state. The state now has nine cases, mostly in Utah County, where Provo is located.
Confirmed cases this year were also reported in these other states: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia and Washington.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This story has been updated since its original publication with the latest measles count for South Dakota.
Stateline reporter Tim Henderson can be reached at [email protected].
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