Oklahoma Joins Southwest Measles Outbreak

Since early 2025, New Mexico and Texas have reported an unexpected number of measles cases, mainly in rural counties.

As of March 11, 2025, the state of Oklahoma was added to this geographic health outbreak.

The Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) confirmed two measles cases in a press release but did not disclose the actual locations.

“These cases highlight the importance of being aware of measles activity as people travel or host visitors,” Kendra Dougherty, Director of Infectious Disease Prevention and Response at OSDH said.

As of March 6, 2025, the U.S. CDC reported 222 measles cases in 12 jurisdictions this year.

These measles cases may be related to the ongoing global measles outbreak in 2025.

In a recent CDC Health Alert Network, the agency wrote that the risk for widespread measles in the United States remains low due to robust U.S. immunization and surveillance programs.

The CDC says healthcare providers should ensure all patients without other evidence of immunity, especially those planning international travel, are up to date on the MMR vaccine, which is offered at most pharmacies in the U.S.