Overview
- The CDC reported Friday that 2,318 confirmed measles cases have been recorded so far in 2026, a total that surpasses all of 2025 and marks the worst year since 1991.
- Health agencies say roughly 93% of infections have occurred in people who were unvaccinated and that at least 151 people have been hospitalized during the current wave.
- National kindergarten MMR coverage fell to 92.5% in 2024–25, creating local pockets of susceptibility that fueled large outbreaks in South Carolina and an ongoing outbreak along the Utah–Arizona border.
- Public health officials and modelers warn reported counts understate true transmission because testing, case confirmation, contact tracing, and reporting vary by jurisdiction and many sick people are not captured.
- Officials warn the surge is straining local response capacity, threatens infants and people who cannot be vaccinated, and could trigger an international review in November that may affect the U.S. elimination designation.