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Measles is surging in the U.S. — and outbreaks can cost millions
Researchers at Johns Hopkins have developed a tool to estimate the economic costs of measles outbreaks in the US, including public health responses, medical care and lost productivity. The estimates show that an outbreak’s financial impact can vary substantially by state and case count.
The tool estimates that New York’s 48 reported cases in 2025 cost about $1.1 million, while Texas’s 803 cases cost nearly $13 million. For Texas, that includes $9 million in public health costs, $4 million in productivity losses and about $288,000 in direct medical expenses. The estimates build on research that found historical public health response costs averaged nearly $59,000 per case, with much of the spending driven by staff time for contact tracing and other outbreak work.
In short
- Johns Hopkins created a tool to estimate measles outbreak costs.
- Texas’s 803 cases in 2025 cost nearly $13 million.
- Public health response and lost productivity made up most estimated costs.
Explained simply
Measles is a highly contagious viral illness that can spread quickly among people who have not been vaccinated or are otherwise not immune. When cases are found, health authorities may trace contacts, notify people who could have been exposed and organise vaccination or monitoring.
The researchers’ tool estimates costs across public health work, medical care and time lost from work. The balance can differ by outbreak: tracing contacts and other response work may require substantial staff time, while the number of cases and the state’s circumstances also affect the total.
These costs matter to local and state services as well as to patients and employers. Estimates can help officials understand the resources outbreaks require and compare the effects of different outbreaks.