Newsom Blames Trump Admin as U.S. Measles Cases Hit Highest Level Since 2000
California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s press office criticized the Trump administration on Sunday as newly released data shows U.S. measles cases have surged to their highest level since the disease was declared eliminated in 2000.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the United States has recorded 1,912 confirmed measles cases in 2025, far surpassing totals from recent years and raising concerns that the country could lose its measles elimination status for the first time in more than two decades.
In a post shared by the Governor Newsom Press Office on X, the administration said it “really hope[s] the Trump Admin gets back to following science & data,” responding to widespread reporting and television coverage highlighting the outbreak.
Public health experts say measles — one of the most contagious viruses known — requires vaccination rates of about 95% to maintain herd immunity. CDC data shows that kindergarten measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccination rates have fallen nationally, dipping below that threshold in multiple states.
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South Carolina has emerged as one of the most affected states, with state health officials reporting more than 120 confirmed cases tied largely to unvaccinated individuals. Hundreds of people have been quarantined following exposures in schools and other community settings. Health officials say roughly nine out of ten cases nationwide involve people who were unvaccinated or under-vaccinated.
The outbreak has drawn attention across the political spectrum, with doctors, researchers, and state officials warning that misinformation and declining vaccine uptake are fueling the resurgence. Several public health experts have emphasized that measles was once considered eliminated in the U.S. due to widespread vaccination, calling the current spike preventable.
Federal health agencies continue to urge vaccination, contact tracing, and isolation of exposed individuals to slow transmission, particularly to protect infants and immunocompromised people who face the highest risk of severe complications.
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