Mexico City — Confronted with its worst measles outbreak in decades, Mexico’s government has set an ambitious goal: to eliminate all measles cases in the country by this November. Health authorities have intensified vaccination and surveillance efforts centered on the northern state of Chihuahua, the epicenter of an outbreak that since March has killed 14 people and sickened thousands. “Our goal is that by the month of November, we will have no measles cases and can once again be free of the disease,” declared Health Secretary David Kershenobich, outlining an aggressive campaign to contain the virus over the next three months.
The current measles outbreak began in early 2025 and has hit Chihuahua hardest. The state, which borders Texas and New Mexico, has recorded 3,490 confirmed cases and 13 of the 14 deaths reported to date (the only other fatality occurred in neighboring Sonora). Nationally, more than 7,166 suspected cases have been tallied, of which roughly half – 3,748 – have been laboratory confirmed. The high ratio of probable to confirmed cases suggests that many infections were not definitively diagnosed, likely due to delayed detection. Experts have warned that measles cases can go uncounted if patients aren’t tested in time. “If we detect a case too late, we might not be able to send samples for confirmation, and it remains a probable case,” epidemiologist Óscar Sosa explained, pointing to the gap in the figures.
Faced with a fast-moving and highly contagious virus, the Health Ministry has launched an emergency vaccination drive. In the past week alone, teams administered over 42,000 doses of measles vaccine in the most affected areas. “Fortunately, the containment circle has worked and it’s fundamentally limited to Chihuahua,” Kershenobich said, referring to intensive ring-vaccination and outbreak response concentrated in that state. The government has six million vaccine doses on hand – more than enough to immunize over 95% of the at-risk population, a level considered necessary for herd immunity. Free vaccinations are being offered to the entire population from infants as young as 6 months (younger than the typical first-dose age) up to adults 49 years old, as part of a reinforced National Vaccination Program.
So far, the containment strategy appears to be holding. “The outbreak is contained around Chihuahua. In the other states, it has been largely contained,” Kershenobich emphasized. Still, cases have been reported in at least 20 of Mexico’s 32 states, though in very low numbers outside the north. After Chihuahua, the largest case counts are in Sonora (84 cases), Coahuila (43), Zacatecas (21), Durango (21), Michoacán (14), and Tamaulipas (12). Health officials are racing to stamp out those sparks and prevent any secondary outbreaks.
Chihuahua’s outbreak has been particularly severe. The state accounts for the vast majority of infections and 13 out of 14 measles deaths. Many of the illnesses have struck remote Mennonite farming communities and indigenous areas with historically lower vaccination rates. The first cases were detected in March in Chihuahua’s mountainous southwest, and the virus then spread to the state capital and Ciudad Juárez. Authorities believe it may have been triggered by an unvaccinated traveler from abroad, since Mexico had not recorded endemic measles transmission for many years.
The vaccination blitz in Chihuahua has been intensive. Federal and state brigades have gone door-to-door in cities and villages, ensuring children receive the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) shot. Checkpoints have been set up on highways to offer vaccines and information. In one week, vaccinators managed to immunize tens of thousands in Chihuahua’s high-risk zones. “We have six million vaccines available to reach above 95% coverage of the population at risk,” Kershenobich noted, underscoring the ample supply. By boosting immunity in the community, officials aim to break the chain of transmission.
The outbreak has exposed gaps in immunity among certain age groups. While the hardest-hit group is young children under 5 (who represent 844 of the confirmed cases), significant numbers of young adults have also fallen ill – notably 514 cases in adults 25–29 and 423 cases in those 30–34. This suggests that some adults missed vaccinations in childhood or their immunity waned. Public health experts note that Mexico’s routine measles immunization rates slipped during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020–2021, leaving a pool of susceptible people. The government’s current campaign is essentially catching up on those missed inoculations.
A critical aspect of the response is public communication. Authorities have urged anyone with measles symptoms – high fever, rash, cough, red eyes, runny nose – to seek immediate medical attention. They’ve also asked families to check their children’s vaccine records and ensure all doses are up to date. The campaign’s slogan, broadcast on radio and TV, is “¡El sarampión se puede prevenir, vacúnate!” (“Measles can be prevented – get vaccinated!”). Community leaders, including clergy and local officials, have been enlisted to promote vaccination in areas where skepticism or access issues exist.
Mexico is drawing on lessons from past measles episodes. The country had effectively eliminated measles by the late 1990s through aggressive vaccination, and until 2020, only sporadic imported cases would pop up. However, a smaller outbreak occurred in 2020 (with around 200 cases) when vaccination activities were disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic. That was a warning sign that lapses in coverage could allow measles to return. This 2025 outbreak is far larger, but officials say they have greater resources at their disposal now that the pandemic has subsided.
Coordination with the U.S. is also part of the strategy, given the cross-border nature of travel. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control have been notified of the Mexican outbreak and are monitoring for any linked cases in the United States. So far, no large spread to the U.S. has been reported, which American experts attribute to high measles vaccination rates in Texas and other neighboring states. Nonetheless, both countries are sharing data to ensure any crossing of the virus is quickly addressed.
The coming weeks will be crucial. Measles is highly contagious (one sick person can infect 12–18 others in an unvaccinated population), so stopping an outbreak requires an “all or nothing” approach. Mexican health authorities are cautiously optimistic that by September, new cases will dwindle to zero, allowing the country a two-month buffer to declare the outbreak over by November. Already, over 3,300 patients have recovered from measles in this outbreak, and the number of active cases is steadily shrinking as the vaccination campaign takes hold.
If Mexico succeeds in quelling the outbreak, it will be a significant public health victory. Not only will it save lives – measles can cause fatal pneumonia and encephalitis, especially in malnourished children – but it will also restore Mexico’s status as a measles-free nation. In the 20th century, measles was a major killer of children in Mexico; the concerted efforts of recent decades nearly eradicated it. Now, with renewed determination, Mexico aims to re-achieve what once was a point of pride: a country without measles circulating, where children can grow up safe from a disease that is entirely preventable with two simple shots.
