Mexico Measles Outbreak Continues: 500 Cases in Early 2026

The Mexico Ministry of Health reported 6,427 confirmed measles cases and 24 deaths from 31 states in 2025, with 70 percent of the cases reported in Chihuahua and 10 percent in Jalisco. Measles continues in Mexico in 2026, with 506 confirmed cases reported in the first two weeks of the year, with more than half reported in Jalisco. On Friday, the the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Regional Monitoring and Re-Verification Commission for Measles, Rubella, and Congenital Rubella Syndrome (RVC) invited the United States and Mexico to meet virtually on April 13th, 2026, to review their measles elimination status. The meeting follows measles outbreaks reported in the United States beginning on January 20th, 2025 (For the full year of 2025, a total of 2,242 confirmed measles cases were reported in 45 jurisdictions of the United States), and in Mexico beginning on February 1st, 2025. The RVC is an independent technical commission that reports directly to the Director of PAHO. Its mandate is to monitor and verify the elimination of measles, rubella, and CRS in PAHO Member States, and to assess the reestablishment of endemic transmission, which is defined as a chain of measles virus transmission of the same genotype and lineage that continues uninterrupted for 12 months or more within a defined geographical area (country). In carrying out its work, the Commission reviews national reports, epidemiological and laboratory data, molecular evidence, and findings from field investigations.