U.S. measles cases hit 35-year high as outbreaks spread across multiple states

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Friday that the United States recorded 2,318 measles cases in the first seven months of 2026, exceeding the 2,289 cases reported for the entire 2025 year. The tally represents the largest number of cases in the country in 35 years and follows a decline in childhood vaccination rates, with the CDC estimating that 93% of those infected were unvaccinated.

"We have joined the rank of countries where vaccination is not reaching the levels needed to protect all of our children against some of the most contagious diseases," said Dr. Richard Besser, a pediatrician and president of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. "Measles is the canary in the coal mine. What it’s saying is that our communities are vulnerable, not just from measles, but from whooping cough, meningitis, chicken pox and other diseases that are readily controllable with vaccines."

The surge began in January 2025 with a West Texas outbreak that grew to 762 cases and produced the first measles deaths in the U.S. in more than a decade. Subsequent clusters have emerged in Arizona, Delaware, Wyoming, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Utah, among other locations. Pennsylvania reported 132 cases, including 27 in the past week, while Virginia logged 177 cases but has not reported new ones since early July.

"We go into homes, we listen to their needs, we educate, and we continue to monitor those families and revisit them because they are reluctant to engage in medical care until they are ready and feel safe," said Dr. Maria Almond, director of the Piedmont Health District in central Virginia.

The CDC has deployed staff to assist state health departments, but the agency has faced leadership gaps, and the Health and Human Services secretary, a known vaccine skeptic, has not publicly addressed the outbreaks. Pediatricians have warned that reduced vaccination coverage—92.5% of children received measles vaccine in 2025, below the 95% threshold needed for herd immunity—has contributed to the rise.

"We’re starting to pay the price for the decreased vaccination rates that we’re seeing in some communities," said Dr. Adam Ratner, a pediatrician with the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Health officials describe the disease as spreading more quickly than COVID-19, with symptoms resembling a severe flu accompanied by high fever and rash. While most cases involve children and teenagers, adults have also experienced serious illness, including dehydration and gastrointestinal symptoms.

The ongoing outbreaks could jeopardize the United States' status of having eliminated endemic measles, a designation that may be reviewed by the Pan American Health Organization in November.