Mexico closed 2025 as the country in America with the most confirmed cases of measles with 6,213 and 24 deaths. In addition, it was the one that recorded the highest number of deaths from whooping cough, with 72, although it was in fifth place in the number of patients with that disease.
According to figures from the Pan American Health Organizationuntil December 27, Canada was in second place for measles infections with 5,353 and the United States with 2,012. In a distant fourth place is Bolivia with 541 cases.
As previously reported The Economistthe weak vaccination coverage in certain regions of the Mexican territory, due to the refusal of some communities to be inoculated, as well as a decrease in coverage on a national scale seem to explain the measles outbreak, mainly in Chihuahua.
Photo: Special EE
He first case recorded in Mexico in 2025 It happened on February 14, in Oaxaca. It was a girl of five years and nine months old who previously traveled to Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Japan and who was not vaccinated.
At the end of 2025, 15,094 accumulated probable cases were reported, with an incidence rate of 4.66 per 100,000 inhabitants.
The most complicated situation occurs in Chihuahua, where, at the end of 2025, 6,232 probable cases were registered, 4,483 were confirmed with 21 deaths. In that entity the incidence rate was 113 per 100,000 inhabitants, well above the national average.
The other two deaths occurred in Jalisco and Durango. In Jalisco, 1,764 probable cases were accumulated during the year and 574 cases were confirmed, while in Durango 292 probable cases were reported and 40 were confirmed.
There are states that, throughout 2025, accumulated more than 100 confirmed cases. They are Guerrero with 240; Michoacán 231, Chiapas 173 and Sonora 112.
In 2025, the main age group affected is from zero to four years (1,603 cases), followed by the group from 25 to 29 years (700), the group from 5 to 9 years (692) and from 20 to 24 (615).
From 2008 to 2025 only in 2020, when Mexico registered 196 cases and in 2019, when it reported 20, it had not exceeded seven in one year. Between 2008 and 2018, only 14 cases had been registered.
He measles is highly contagious and a single infected person can transmit it to up to 18 others. It can cause serious complications such as pneumonia, encephalitis, blindness and death. Outbreaks also disrupt daily life and place additional pressure on health systems.
Vaccination remains the most effective protection measure. Over the past 25 years, the measles vaccine has prevented more than six million deaths in America and is estimated to have prevented about 15 million deaths over the past 50 years. However, in 2024, regional coverage of the second dose of the measles, rubella and mumps (MMR2) vaccine was, on average, 79%, well below the 95% needed to prevent outbreaks. Only 31% of countries achieved coverage of 95% or more for the first dose, and only 20% achieved that level for the second dose.
Photo: Special EE
Whooping cough
In the case of whooping cough, Mexico closed 2025 with 1,582 confirmed cases and 72 deaths.
According to figures from the Ministry of Health, in 2024 there were 550 cases of this disease, that is, 1,032 cases less than in 2025. Between 2015 and 2024, 1,107 cases had never been exceeded.
The states that concentrated the highest number in 2025 are: Mexico City 155, Chihuahua 147, Nuevo León 141 and Aguascalientes 102, which concentrated 34.4%.
Photo: Special EE
The national incidence was 1.18 cases per 100,000 inhabitants and the highest incidence was in Aguascalientes with 6.69 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, followed by Chihuahua with 3.71 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.
Regarding geographical distribution, only Tabasco registers cases. The municipalities that have reported the highest number of cases are Guadalupe, Nuevo León (95), Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes (80) and Juárez, Chihuahua (62), which account for 14.9% of the cases nationwide.
Of the 72 deaths registered in 2025 due to this disease, 69 correspond to cases in children under 1 year of age without a history of vaccination and 84.7% in children under 6 months of age.
