Overview
- CDC data reported July 23–24 show 2,318 confirmed measles cases in 2026, exceeding the 2,289 cases reported in all of 2025 and marking the highest annual total since 1991.
- Large, linked outbreaks concentrated in states such as South Carolina and Utah are driving the surge, with cases also reported in Arizona, Texas, Virginia, Florida and Pennsylvania.
- Ninety-three percent of cases this year were in people who were unvaccinated or whose vaccination status is unknown, reflecting drops in kindergarten MMR coverage from about 95.2% in 2019–20 to 92.5% in 2024–25 and many counties well below the 95% herd-immunity threshold.
- Public-health officials report 151 hospitalizations and no deaths to date, warn official counts likely undercount true infections, and say contact tracing and case response are stretching local health departments.
- The Pan American Health Organization will review the U.S. measles elimination status in November, a step that could change international recognition and affect vaccination and public-health priorities going forward.