March 12, 2025 - Health officials are worried that measles cases in at least 12 states may be a harbinger of outbreaks of other preventable diseases, including polio, rubella, and mumps.

Measles cases reached 222 as of March 6, including one confirmed death and another under investigation. The outbreak has put doctors on alert for other diseases that have been long under control by vaccination.

"It really is a harbinger," said Adam Ratner, MD, MPH, director of pediatric infectious diseases at NYU Langone and Hassenfeld Children's Hospital, New York. "When we start to see a decrease in vaccination rates, measles outbreaks are the first thing you see, and often what follows are the other vaccine-preventable diseases."

Here's what else to know about the current outbreak, what might be looming, and how to stay as proactive and healthy as possible.

Measles Outbreak Indicates Slipping Vaccination Rates