Background on the Situation
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has issued an epidemiological alert regarding persistent sarampión outbreaks in the Americas, urging countries to enhance surveillance, vaccination efforts, and rapid response to suspected cases. In 2025, Mexico became the country with the highest number of confirmed cases and deaths related to sarampión in the region.
Statistics and Trends
According to PAHO, 14,891 confirmed sarampión cases and 29 deaths were reported across 13 countries in the Americas during 2025, marking a 32-fold increase from 466 cases in 2024. Mexico reported 6,428 cases and 24 deaths, the highest numbers for both infections and fatalities. Following Mexico were Canada with 5,436 cases and two deaths, and the United States with 2,242 cases and three fatalities.
The trend continues to rise in 2026, with an additional 1,031 confirmed cases across seven countries in the region, of which 740 were from Mexico. Not all countries with cases have disclosed figures for 2026.
PAHO warns that the majority of confirmed cases in the region correspond to unvaccinated individuals: 78% had no vaccination history, and 11% had unknown status.
Although the highest number of infections occurred among adolescents and young adults, the highest incidence rates were observed in infants under one year of age, followed by children aged 1-4 years and 5-9 years. This emphasizes the urgency of ensuring complete vaccination schemes.
National Overview
As of February 3, 2026, Mexico’s federal health secretariat (SSA) reported 8,332 sarampión cases and 26 associated deaths since the outbreak began in 2025.
Between Sunday and Monday past, 44 new cases were reported, bringing the total of probable Enfermedad Febril Exantemática (EFE) cases to 20,473. Of these, 9,293 had been ruled out and 2,848 were still under investigation.
From 2025-2026, Chihuahua led the nation with 4,501 accumulated cases, a rate of 113.31 per 100,000 inhabitants, and 21 deaths, making it the highest in both incidence and mortality.
Jalisco followed with 1,776 cases; Chiapas reported 479; Michoacán had 284 cases; Guerrero reported 269; Sinaloa reported 194, and the Federal District (Mexico City) reported 157.
In contrast, states like Guanajuato, Yucatán, Quintana Roo, and Baja California Sur reported fewer than 10 confirmed cases during the period.
Health Secretary David Kershenobich stated that 27.3 million doses of sarampión vaccines were acquired in 2026, with 3.836 million already delivered.
“We have enough vaccines for the next two years and to continue advancing in the vaccination of the entire population,” emphasized the official.
According to the health secretariat, 11,853,684 sarampión vaccine doses had been administered nationwide.
In the alert, PAHO noted that by 2024, only 80% of the target population in Mexico had received at least one dose of the sarampión, rubéola, and paperas (German measles) vaccine.
Low Vaccination Rates
Experts consulted by El Economista pointed out that the current situation is a direct result of historical low vaccination coverage accumulated over various federal government administrations.
Juan Francisco Martínez Campos, former president of the Mexican Public Health Association, specified that “adequate vaccination coverage was not achieved during different administrations, and these low coverages have resulted in a larger number of susceptible individuals today.”
However, he believes it is still possible to reverse the trend with vaccine application.
Horacio Tovalín, a scholar from the Faculty of Studies at UNAM’s Zaragoza campus, stated that during the COVID-19 emergency, access to routine vaccines like sarampión was significantly reduced, breaking a historical tradition of high coverage in Mexico.
According to the expert, to prevent sarampión transmission, at least 95% of the population must have adequate antibody levels. Below this threshold, the virus can easily spread.
Regarding Mexico becoming an international contagion focus, especially with events like the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Tovalín noted that high vacination rates are also observed in major cities like Mexico City, Monterrey, and Guadalajara—key World Cup host cities.
Crisis Management
Tovalín considered the health management of the increased infections to be appropriate.
“The response has been quick, there are sufficient doses available, and it is likely that the spread can be contained in affected areas,” he affirmed. He added that, unlike previous years, there is currently adequate vaccine availability to meet demand.
“If we do not achieve sufficiently broad coverage in the coming days, each passing day brings us closer to a more complicated scenario,” predicted Martínez Campos.
The PAHO Regional Commission for Monitoring and Verification of the Elimination of Sarampión, Rubéola, and Congenital Rubéola Syndrome (RVC) has called for a virtual meeting with Mexico and the United States on April 13, 2026, to review the status of sarampión elimination in both countries following outbreaks.
