Measles Cases Rise as Childhood Vaccination Rates Slip and Trust in Health Agencies Declines

The United States has recorded 3,294 confirmed measles cases through September 10, 2026, surpassing the total number reported for all of 2025. Health officials say most of the recent cases are linked to localized outbreaks.

According to CDC data, MMR vaccination coverage among kindergarteners declined from 95.2% in the 2019-20 school year to 92.4% in 2025-26, leaving about 280,000 children without documented proof of immunization. Exemptions for required vaccines rose to 4.2% nationally, with 24 states reporting exemption rates above 5%.

A February Kaiser Family Foundation poll found that roughly 80% of adults across party lines still consider childhood vaccines such as MMR and polio safe, but only 47% expressed at least moderate trust in the CDC for vaccine information. The same survey identified doctors as the most trusted source of health guidance, while trust in government health agencies remained fragmented.

The poll also noted that 29% of adults had encountered the false claim that measles vaccines are more dangerous than the disease itself, and individuals without a trusted health-care provider were more likely to accept such misinformation.

Public health experts emphasize that high vaccination rates—generally above 95%—are needed to maintain community immunity, and that pockets of under-vaccination can sustain outbreaks even when overall state coverage appears adequate. The current trend suggests that while confidence in the vaccines themselves remains relatively strong, skepticism toward the institutions promoting them is growing, creating challenges for public-health outreach and disease prevention efforts.