Measles cases are surging nationwide, causing concern for travelers leaving for holiday vacations, as 84 new cases were reported just last week.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today said the United States has 1,912 confirmed measles cases so far in 2025, an increase of 84 cases since last week and a bad sign as holiday gatherings, travel, and indoor activities is set to pick up in the final weeks of the year.

Australia is in its busiest month for short-term overseas travel. And there are so many things to consider when planning your trip. Unfortunately, it's easy to overlook the importance of pre-travel vaccinations.

North Carolina does not currently have any confirmed measles cases, according to the NC Department of Health & Human Services’ website (as of Friday, Dec. 12 afternoon). A measles case was confirmed this summer. Before that, a case was confirmed fall 2024, but there were no reported cases from 2019 to 2023, per NCDHHS.

While the new measles case is the first in Connecticut since 2021, there have been more than 1,800 cases of the disease reported nationwide this year, according to data from the International Vaccine Access Center at Johns Hopkins University. That's the most cases in a single year since 1992, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control.

As people travel, gather and congregate, the concern is that there will be more, hundreds and maybe thousands of cases if we’re not careful.”

Rabies vaccination before you travel can reduce the need for this post-exposure prophylaxis or can simplify your treatment if you’re bitten or scratched by an infected animal. So a two- or three-visit vaccination course is recommended before travel.