A measles outbreak is occurring in the country, with 7,251 confirmed cases reported by the Federal Ministry of Health during the 2025-2026 period. The outbreak was acknowledged by the head of the agency, David Kershenobich, during the president’s daily press conference on January 20th, where he detailed the vaccination efforts implemented to curb the spread of the virus.
In the latest official report, published on January 21st, 120 new confirmed cases were reported nationwide compared to the previous day, bringing the total to 823 so far in January 2026. In Veracruz, the number of cases rose from 27 to 31 that day alone.
Veracruz has one confirmed case of measles this year, the first of the 2025-2026 outbreak. Last year, no cases were reported, and the year ended with 261 “probable” cases. The first case of measles was detected in the municipality of Xalapa on January 11.
Health authorities confirm that no deaths from this disease have been recorded this year in any state in the country; in 2025 there were 25 deaths.
Nationally, Chihuahua and Jalisco stand out as the states with the highest number of infections, concentrating the highest incidence of the outbreak, with 4,496 and 1,084 cases, respectively, between 2025 and 2026.
Measles is a viral disease that is easily transmitted through saliva droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes, and is considered highly contagious.
Measles Symptoms
The most common symptoms of measles are:
Fever
Nasal congestion
Red or irritated eyes
Small spots inside the mouth
Skin rash, which starts on the face and spreads to the body (appears about 14 days after infection)
“This disease can cause complications if not treated promptly, especially in children and people with weakened immune systems,” warns the Mexican government.
Who should get vaccinated?
Measles vaccines are distributed through the IMSS (Mexican Social Security Institute), IMSS-Bienestar (IMSS-Welfare Program), ISSSTE (Institute for Social Security and Services for State Workers), and all health institutions, assured Secretary David Kershenobich. To find out where to get vaccinated, the hotline 079 has been set up, where you can ask for the nearest health center.
Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum clarified that the vaccine can be requested at any hospital, regardless of whether or not you are a registered patient there.
“It doesn’t depend on insurance coverage; people can go to any health center, they all have vaccines,” the president assured.
The people who should be vaccinated against measles are:
Children aged 1 year and 18 months.
Children aged 2 to 9 years who have not yet received their vaccinations.
Healthcare workers.
Educational staff.
Agricultural workers.
The “zero dose” is being administered to children aged 6 to 11 months.
The “zero dose” is being administered as an exceptional measure during the outbreak season, explained the Secretary of Health, “so as not to wait until the child is one year old, we have given an early zero dose.”
Source: lasillarota
