A measles outbreak in the southwestern US has killed two people and infected more than 200, prompting a top health agency to issue a travel warning.

Since the start of the year, measles cases in the US have increased by 58, bringing the total to 222 cases across 12 states, the CDC reported. Of these confirmed cases, 38 approximately 17% have resulted in hospitalization.

The possibility of a link between vaccines and autism has been repeatedly debunked by hundreds of scientific studies.

A possible second measles death has been recorded in the U.S. this year after a New Mexico resident tested positive for the virus following their death.