Overview
- The CDC reports at least 171 measles cases in the first two weeks of 2026 across nine states, largely tied to ongoing outbreaks.
- South Carolina’s outbreak doubled in a week to 434 cases after 124 new infections were reported since Friday, with 409 people in quarantine and officials warning tracing capacity is being stretched.
- Utah’s total reached 201 cases, including 147 in the southwest health district, with fewer than 20 hospitalizations reported.
- New 2026 confirmations include Maricopa County’s first case linked to overseas travel, Kentucky’s first case in an unvaccinated Jessamine County resident after exposure in Fayette County, and two additional cases in siblings in Buncombe County, North Carolina.
- Health agencies say about 95% of patients are unvaccinated or of unknown status, are running MMR vaccination clinics and exposure notifications, and caution that sustained spread could threaten the nation’s measles elimination status.