In the United States, measles became a nationally notifiable disease in 1912. In the first 20 years of data collection, the U.S. averaged 6,000 measles-related deaths each year. In the 1950s, the average deaths dropped to 400 – 500 people, plus 48,000 hospitalizations (including about 1,000 cases of encephalitis) per year.

The first measles vaccine was licensed in 1963. The efficacy of the polio vaccine (introduced in 1955) and measles vaccine led to a national vaccine program to ensure they were available to all children. The United States achieved measles elimination status in 2000, meaning that the spread of the diseases was stopped for more than 12 months. Recent outbreaks are a result of declining vaccination rates.