The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cited the effectiveness of the New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) in containing a 2025 measles outbreak. Emerging cases in 2026, however, are continuing risks.
The CDC report comes after New Mexico documented 100 measles infections between February and September last year—the state’s first outbreak since 1996. Epidemiologists traced all but one case to a multistate outbreak originating in West Texas. That outbreak eventually spread across 31 states and remained active in some areas.
Despite the containment of the 2025 uptick, the state has reported six new measles detections this year, all clustered in detention facilities across Doña Ana, Hidalgo, and Luna counties. Health experts flagged these settings as high-risk due to overcrowding and limited access to care.
Messaging and vaccine push drive uptake
NMDOH’s “comprehensive public messaging strategy” as a key factor behind a surge in vaccinations during the outbreak period, the CDC report noted.
Data show a 55 percent increase in vaccinations compared with the same period in 2024. Between February and September 2025, over 32,890 children received measles vaccines. Adult vaccinations also increased, with 5,748 doses administered—more than triple the previous year’s numbers.
Officials attribute the increase to a multilingual outreach campaign in Spanish and English, a dedicated measles information website, social media engagement, and a public hotline that logged over 2,000 inquiries during the outbreak.
The state also deployed at least 60 mobile vaccination clinics across 11 counties, targeting both outbreak zones and areas identified by health officials as vulnerable. These pop-up clinics were set up in schools, community centers, correctional facilities, and public health offices.
NMDOH Communications Director Robert Nott said the health office leaned on partnerships it developed during the COVID-19 pandemic to expand its reach.
“One agency cannot get this job done on its own—we had to work together as a health network to provide access to vaccinations and protect the community,” Nott said.
Experts point to replicable model—but call for deeper analysis
Public health experts from New Mexico State University say the state’s response offers a potential template for future outbreaks, but stress the need for more granular analysis.
Jagdish Khubchandani told Source NM that the state’s response was executed “exceptionally well.” He cited the use of multiple outreach strategies. Khubchandani noted that such efforts were crucial amid disruptions to federal information systems.
Elizabeth England-Kennedy, however, said the state must go an extra mile by identifying which communication strategies were most effective.
“We should take a look at what happened in this case and map out the communication strategy,” she said, adding that a refined model could serve as a “blueprint” for other states.
Schools shielded, but vulnerabilities remain
High vaccination coverage among schoolchildren—at nearly 10 out of 10 (98 percent) for at least one measles shot—helped prevent outbreaks in schools.
Desiree Smith of the New Mexico School Nurses Association said New Mexico’s immunization rates kept schools open during the outbreak.
Despite federal officials’ praise over New Mexico’s response, the emergence of new cases in detention centers highlights ongoing gaps in containment strategies, especially in high-density, high-risk environments.
Health officials considered new cases in 2026 as a continuing risk. As of March 2026, the CDC said the state has documented six confirmed measles cases. Most of these cases are linked to detention centers, while the United States overall has recorded 1,362 cases across 31 areas.