A single US measles outbreak can cost millions of dollars, study estimates
A study reveals that a 2025 measles outbreak in New Mexico cost nearly $5.4 million in medical expenses, public health responses, and lost productivity. With measles cases rising in 2026, the study highlights the significant economic burden of undervaccinated communities.
Why it matters
The findings underscore the economic necessity of maintaining high vaccination rates to prevent costly public health crises.
The overall cost of containing a 2025 measles outbreak in New Mexico was nearly $5.4 million, a new study estimates.
The figure includes expenses for medical care, public health services and lost productivity, not just for the 57 adult patients and for caregivers of the 43 infected children but also for 205 exposed and quarantined contacts and 133 public health responders.
The total breaks down to an average of more than $53,000 for each of the 100 confirmed cases in the outbreak, according to researchers from the New Mexico Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The outbreak began in an undervaccinated community in Texas in January 2025 and spread across the state line into New Mexico in February, first appearing in border areas. The CDC declared the outbreak over in September 2025.
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