Economic Impact of the 2025 New Mexico Measles Outbreak: Highlighting the Cost of Efforts to Prevent Future Outbreaks

BACKGROUND: In 2025, the United States experienced its highest measles case count since 1992. In New Mexico, 100 confirmed measles cases (99 outbreak-related cases), including 1 death, occurred across 9 counties from February through September 2025. OBJECTIVE: To estimate the societal economic burden of this outbreak while highlighting public health expenditures for vaccination-related activities that supported outbreak control and prevention of future outbreaks. DESIGN: Cost analysis from a societal perspective to estimate 3 types of costs: public health response costs, direct medical costs, and productivity losses. SETTING: Nine counties in New Mexico during February to September 2025. PARTICIPANTS: 133 public health responders, 100 patients with confirmed measles, and 205 exposed contacts. INTERVENTION: Public health response activities, including vaccination campaigns, case management, and contact tracing. MEASUREMENTS: Costs were categorized as response costs (labor, materials, travel), direct medical costs (third-party), or productivity losses (illness, isolation, quarantine, caregiving). RESULTS: The overall societal cost was estimated at $5.4 million ($53 522 per case, or $1817 per contact). The largest component of the public health response to the outbreak (about $3.2 million) was costs from vaccination-related activities (about $2.1 million). LIMITATIONS: Costs may be overestimated or underestimated due to incomplete reporting; insurance data were used rather than actual medical costs; certain direct medical costs were excluded; and assumptions were made for productivity losses. CONCLUSION: These estimates offer important insights for decision making by policymakers and public health stakeholders regarding budgets for and expansion of vaccination coverage during an outbreak and strengthening outbreak preparedness. This study also highlights the societal value of protecting communities from vaccine-preventable diseases like measles, which can be effectively prevented through high vaccination coverage. PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE: None.