US Measles Cases on Track to Hit 35-Year High
It took the US 25 years to lose its measles elimination status through neglect. It may only take another 155 cases to set a 35-year record.
According to CDC data updated June 26, the US has recorded 2,134 confirmed measles cases so far in 2026 across 41 jurisdictions, with 30 new outbreaks reported this year. Last year's full-year total of 2,288 cases was already the highest since a 1991 outbreak that infected 9,500 people nationwide.
Why This Year Could Be Worse
"The US is already close to last year's total with about half the year still ahead," said epidemiologist Dr. Syra Madad. "Unless we interrupt transmission quickly, 2026 is likely to surpass 2025 and could do so substantially."
Ninety-three percent of this year's confirmed cases are outbreak-associated, and more than half involve children between 5 and 19 years old. The CDC has warned state and local health departments to expect additional cases as summer travel increases.
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This Isn't an Imported Problem
According to CDC figures, 93% of this year's cases were acquired within the US rather than brought in by travelers. Madad said that distinction matters. "That suggests we are not just importing measles. We are allowing it to spread here," she said.
Measles is airborne and can linger in a space for up to two hours after an infected person leaves. Nine out of 10 unvaccinated people exposed to the virus will contract it.
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The States Driving the Numbers
Utah and South Carolina have recorded the most cases this year, with Texas, Florida, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Arizona close behind. Utah's outbreak began in June 2025 and has continued largely unabated; statewide, 12.8% of kindergartners were missing their MMR vaccine as of the most recent school-entry data, well below the 95% threshold needed to prevent sustained outbreaks.
Measles was declared eliminated in the US in 2000. That status is currently under review, with international health authorities pushing verification decisions into November 2026 as officials work through genomic sequencing data.
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Beyond the Rash
Roughly two in five people infected with measles end up hospitalized, and pneumonia is the most common severe complication. The virus can also trigger a rare but fatal neurological condition called subacute sclerosing panencephalitis that can emerge a decade or more after the initial infection.
"This is not simply the return of a childhood rash illness," Madad said. "Measles can cause pneumonia, encephalitis, hospitalization and death, especially in young children and medically vulnerable people."
A Recoverable Problem, If Coverage Improves
Madad said the trajectory isn't fixed. "The US achieved elimination before, and it can regain control by restoring high MMR coverage, strengthening surveillance, and responding rapidly to every case," she said.
Without improved vaccination rates, she warned the pattern will likely continue: "More outbreaks, more quarantines, more school and childcare disruptions, more strain on already stretched health departments."
TL;DR
- The US has recorded 2,134 confirmed measles cases in 2026, on pace to beat last year's 35-year record
- 93% of cases this year were acquired domestically, not imported by travelers
- Utah and South Carolina have the highest case counts, driven by low kindergarten MMR coverage
- Two in five infected people are hospitalized; pneumonia is the most common severe complication
- The US's measles elimination status, held since 2000, remains under formal review
