Sales of face masks, hand sanitizer and common medications have surged across Mexico’s pharmacy chains as a measles outbreak that began last year continues to grow, with confirmed cases now reported in all 32 states.
The National Union of Pharmacy Businesses (Unefarm) reported a 17% spike in demand for face masks, antibacterial gel, ibuprofen, paracetamol, antivirals and antibiotics starting last weekend and picking up steam on Monday. The increase is tied directly to rising measles cases across the Mexico City metropolitan area and several other states.
Juvenal Becerra Orozco, president of Unefarm, said the buying trend is being driven by two things: parents stockpiling supplies out of concern, and schools in several states now requiring students to wear masks. “Parents are in a bit of a panic and are buying face masks as reserves, along with ibuprofen, antibiotics or paracetamol,” Becerra Orozco said.
National outbreak grows
Mexico has confirmed more than 9,000 measles cases since the outbreak began in early 2025, with 28 deaths across seven states. The surge originally centered in the northern border state of Chihuahua, where officials traced the outbreak to an unvaccinated 8-year-old Mennonite boy who had visited relatives in Seminole, Texas.
Chihuahua still accounts for nearly half of all confirmed cases since 2025, but the western state of Jalisco has become the current epicenter. Jalisco alone has logged more than 1,600 confirmed cases in 2026 — roughly 58% of this year’s national total. Schools in Guadalajara, Mexico’s second-largest city, have made face masks mandatory.
The state of Mexico, which surrounds the capital on three sides, announced this week it is screening students’ temperatures at school entrances and ramping up vaccination campaigns. Mexico City has launched an aggressive vaccination push after confirming more than 160 cases.
Through Feb. 6, there were more than 2,100 confirmed cases nationwide in 2026 and nearly 6,000 suspected cases.
Pharmacy supply holding — for now
Across Unefarm’s more than 5,600 affiliated pharmacies in 18 states, supplies remain adequate. Pharmacy owners have increased their orders to stay ahead of demand, and prices have held steady so far. Becerra Orozco compared the current situation to the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, when demand for similar products spiked 70% to 80% almost overnight, causing widespread shortages at laboratories and pharmacies.
The current 17% increase is specific to measles-related buying, he said, though it overlaps with the winter respiratory illness season, which was already driving higher sales of some medications.
Vaccination campaign accelerates
Deputy Health Minister Ramiro López Elizalde said this week that Mexico has 28 million vaccine doses ready for immediate use, on top of the 14.3 million already administered since 2025. The priority group is children ages 6 months to 12 years.
The state of Mexico reported that within five days of launching its vaccination week, it had administered 352,111 doses covering measles, influenza, Covid-19, rubella, pneumococcal disease, tetanus, hexavalent and rotavirus vaccines. Officials expected to hit their 400,000-dose target by Thursday.
Yucatán Peninsula largely spared
In Southeast Mexico, the Yucatán Peninsula has experienced minimal impact to date. Yucatán state has confirmed only five cases since the outbreak began—three in 2026 and two in 2025 —in the municipalities of Mérida, Kanasín, and Izamal. That represents 0.05% of the national total, the lowest incidence rate in the country.
Campeche has recorded 14 confirmed cases and Quintana Roo has 12. Quintana Roo recently joined the national vaccination campaign, with authorities focusing on schools and rural communities.
The Pan American Health Organization issued an epidemiological alert on Feb. 4, calling on countries across the Americas to intensify surveillance and vaccination. PAHO noted that measles cases in the first three weeks of 2026 were 43 times higher than the same period in 2025. Among confirmed cases with vaccination data, 78% were unvaccinated.
A PAHO panel is expected to convene on April 13 to review whether Mexico and the United States will lose their measles-free status — a designation Mexico has held for three decades. The meeting falls less than two months before the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which Mexico is co-hosting.
Measles in Mexico: Key Facts
- More than 9,000 confirmed cases since early 2025; 28 deaths
- Jalisco is the current epicenter with 58% of 2026 cases
- All 32 states have reported confirmed cases
- 28 million vaccine doses available for immediate use
- Priority vaccination group: children ages 6 months to 12 years
- The MMR vaccine is 98% effective against measles
- Yucatán state: 5 confirmed cases, lowest rate in the country
- PAHO will review Mexico’s measles-free status on April 13