U.S. measles cases rise to 2,318 in 2026, CDC reports

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Friday that 2,318 measles cases have been confirmed in the United States so far in 2026, surpassing the 2,289 cases recorded in 2025, the highest total in more than three decades. The cases span 43 states and the District of Columbia, with 16 infections linked to international visitors.

Children and teenagers 19 years old and younger account for the majority of infections, and roughly one in ten children under five have required hospitalization. CDC data indicate that about 93% of patients were unvaccinated or had an unknown vaccination status, while 3% had received a single dose of the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine and 4% had received the recommended two doses.

"Crossing this threshold is a tragic reminder that measles has made an alarming comeback in the United States," former acting CDC director Dr. Richard Besser said in a statement to ABC News.

The agency continues to recommend two MMR doses—first at 12 to 15 months of age and a second between four and six years—providing 93% and 97% effectiveness respectively. Vaccination coverage among kindergarteners has slipped to 92.5% for the 2024-2025 school year, down from 92.7% the prior year and 95.2% before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Public health experts have warned that declining vaccination rates, reduced perceived risk of measles, and waning confidence in health authorities could jeopardize the United States' measles elimination status achieved in 2000.