Mexico reports 28 measles deaths since outbreak in 2025

MEXICO CITY

Health authorities in Mexico said Wednesday that 28 people have died and 9,074 cases have been reported since a measles outbreak that began in 2025.

Low vaccination coverage has made Mexico the leading country in the Americas in measles infections.

The first case, recorded in February last year, occurred in the northwestern state of Chihuahua. The border state experienced a surge in cases last year, with more than 580 confirmed by late April and as many as 4,000 by August.

Regarding fatalities, 28 deaths have been confirmed during the 2025–2026 period distributed across seven states: Chihuahua (21), Jalisco (2), Sonora (1), Durango (1), Michoacan (1), Tlaxcala (1) and Mexico City (1).

On Feb. 4, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) issued an epidemiological alert in the Americas due to the persistence of cases and new outbreaks in 2025, as well as the apparent continuation of this trend into 2026.

In that regard, the health body documented that the most affected countries were Mexico, Canada and the US.

The wave of cases comes ahead of the FIFA World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the three countries from June 11 to July 19.

In this context, the head of government of Mexico City urged the federal government and FIFA to strengthen the vaccination campaign for the three million tourists expected to arrive in the country to attend the World Cup.

At a press conference, Mexico’s Secretary of Health David Kershenobich Stalnikowitz said 90% of the cases in the country occurred among unvaccinated individuals.

Mexico has experienced a steady decline in measles vaccination rates over the past 20 years, he said.

However, this downward trend became more pronounced in 2019 during the administration of then-President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who cut public spending and delayed the purchase of pharmaceuticals such as vaccines.

That year, 1.5 million children between the ages of 1 and 6 who were scheduled to receive the measles vaccine did not receive it.

The current vaccination program includes plans for up to 28 million additional doses, in addition to the 14.3 million administered over the past year.