Literature review reveals financial burden of measles

Aug. 24, 2026

2 min read

Key Highlights

Each measles case in the U.S. costs about $43,204 on average, with costs rising when public health responses are included.
Public health response to an outbreak costs approximately $297,747, with additional cases adding around $16,300 each.
Cost per contact in a measles outbreak averages $443.46, highlighting the extensive resources needed for containment.
The study calls for better data collection on outbreak costs to improve budgeting and response strategies.
Strengthening vaccination coverage is essential to prevent outbreaks and reduce their economic impact.

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Salin Sriudomporn and Bryan Patenaude of Johns Hopkins have published a literature review in Vaccine, revealing the financial burden of measles in the U.S.

They analyzed 120 studies that were published over a 25-year period (2000-2025) using PubMed, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and state health department reports. Outbreaks assessed ranged from one-802 cases. The data covered Washington, Minnesota, Indiana, Arizona, Illinois, New York, Kentucky, Iowa, Colorado, California, Michigan, Texas, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Maryland, Oklahoma, Massachusetts, and Wisconsin. Key findings:

On average, each case in a measles outbreak costs about $43,203.65.
Cost per case rises to about $58,591.50 when accounting for the cost of public health response.
The researchers averaged measles cost per contact at $443.46.
Initiating public health response to a measles outbreak costs about $297,746.94, with each additional case costing about $16,299.64.

The authors call for improved data regarding “how these costs are incurred and by whom,” stating that this information “can substantially improve outbreak response budgetary planning and demonstrate the financial and economic impact that outbreaks have on healthcare systems.” They also emphasize the need to minimize outbreaks by “sustaining and strengthening measles vaccination coverage as well as ensuring financial resources exist for enabling rapid mobilization for containment.”