The total economic cost of New Mexico's 2025 measles outbreak was $5.4 million, according to an analysis published yesterday in the Annals of Internal Medicine. That comes out to $53,522 per person infected with the airborne virus that causes the disease.

New Mexico's outbreak, which occurred from February through September 2025, resulted in 100 confirmed cases of measles, including seven hospitalizations and one death. Of those infected, 53% were aged 18 years or older and 85% were unvaccinated.

Economists from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and epidemiologists at the New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) based their findings on direct medical costs, the expense to public health agencies, and lost productivity: The outbreak disrupted the work and education of patients, caregivers, and unvaccinated people who had to quarantine after coming into contact with someone who was contagious.

NMDOH responds to every measles infection reported in the state through case investigation to verify the diagnosis and identify the source of exposure. Staff then perform contact tracing, in which they find and support people who came into contact with measles patients to prevent additional spread of the disease. A total of 2,946 contacts were identified and reached during the outbreak, 205 of whom had to quarantine.

Collectively, 133 public health workers spent 22,399 hours responding to the measles outbreak. This translated to $3.2 million in costs, an expense that was ultimately borne by taxpayers, pointed out Chad Smelser, MD, New Mexico's deputy state epidemiologist.

“So really, individuals from around the state are paying for the entire response," said Smelser.

Considering the high price tag, Smelser said he hopes the analysis will encourage policymakers to invest more into vaccine education and outreach, as immunization is the best tool to prevent disease outbreaks.

Direct medical costs amounted to $290,148, while productivity losses for patients, caregivers, and quarantined individuals contributed more than $1.8 million to the total.

While the results are plausible, the analysis omits costs associated with long-term complications, noted Karen B. Clay, an economist at Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy. Clay did not contribute to the research. 

Another analysis from the CDC and public health workers in Washington state found the cost of the 2019 Clark County measles outbreak was $4.3 million when adjusted for inflation. In addition to New Mexico's outbreak having more cases and hospitalizations, the authors say the response cost was higher due to vaccination-related activities.

At the start of the outbreak, at least 92% of kids and 51% of adults in New Mexico had received at least one dose of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine.

During the outbreak, a statewide MMR vaccine campaign, costing $2.1 million, ran from February 15 through August 24. The department held 60 mobile vaccination clinics across 11 counties to administer a total of 21,521 doses. This resulted in more than 18,000 more children and adults being vaccinated in 2025 compared with the previous year

The authors noted that the vaccine campaign likely reduced the outbreak's overall number of cases: "Measles is highly contagious—susceptible people who are unvaccinated have about a 90% chance of infection with exposure—these vaccinations translate into potentially significant cost savings."

The cost would have been less if those same doses had been administered through routine care at existing clinics, said Clay, who added that higher MMR coverage in New Mexico might also have prevented the 2025 outbreak entirely.

"The lesson for policymakers is pay for prevention now, or pay far more for response later," she said.