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Learning from Real Measles Outbreaks to Protect Our Communities

CORI is building the first comprehensive national dataset of real-world operational data from US health departments that have successfully managed measles outbreaks.

Overview

When measles outbreaks strike, every decision counts. That's why the Center for Outbreak Response Innovation (CORI) is building something that's never existed before: a comprehensive collection of real-world operational data from health departments across the US who have successfully managed measles outbreaks.

What’s in the repository?

Our Measles Outbreak Operational Metric Repository brings together the hard-won knowledge and practical insights from health departments that have responded to measles outbreaks of all shapes and sizes across our communities. We're gathering the operational details from health departments that matter most – what worked, what didn't, how long it took to contain the outbreak, and how much staff and financial resources it required.

Why is this important?

What’s the goal? To help inform a playbook for health departments to respond to measles outbreaks. Whether a community faces a small cluster or a major outbreak, health departments will have access to timelines and resource requirements based on real experiences from their peers.

This isn't just another research project – it's a practical tool that will help health departments nationwide respond faster, smarter, and more effectively when measles threatens their communities. By learning from those who've walked this path before, we're building stronger defenses for everyone.

What have we learned so far?

As of December 5, 2025, there have been at least 46 outbreaks in the United States this year.
Outbreak duration and scale varied considerably: Among seven local health departments studied, outbreaks lasted an average of 72 days, ranging from 26 to 131 days. On average, outbreaks involved 9 cases and 211 contacts, with case counts ranging from 2 to 19 and contacts ranging from 11 to 357 per outbreak.
Immunization record access was inconsistent: The availability of immunization records for cases and contacts per outbreak ranged from 0% to 96%, with an average of 65%, indicating significant data gaps in some jurisdictions.
Contact notification within 72 hours was challenging: On average, 55% of contacts were notified within 72 hours of exposure when measured from the identification date.
Staffing requirements were substantial and variable: Personnel involved in outbreak response ranged from 7 to 49 people, with total staff hours ranging from under 200 to nearly 10,000 hours, demonstrating that even small outbreaks required significant workforce mobilization.
Financial costs were considerable: Estimated outbreak response costs ranged from $26,313 to $300,000, with one jurisdiction spending $3,830 on overtime alone, highlighting the significant economic burden on health departments regardless of outbreak size.

How can you help?

Health Department

If you currently work at a health department that has responded to a measles outbreak in 2024 or 2025, and you would like to participate in this project, you can submit data to the repository via our survey or you can email us.

View Survey

Members of the Press

If you are a journalist and are interested in covering this topic, please contact us.

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Center for Outbreak Response Innovation

Advancing outbreak response through innovation, analytics, education, and research collaboration.

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The Center for Outbreak Response Innovation is supported through Cooperative Agreement NU38FT000004 between CDC’s Center for Forecasting and Outbreak Analytics and Johns Hopkins University’s Bloomberg School of Public Health.