Overview
- The CDC's Thursday update showed 2,318 confirmed measles cases so far in 2026, a total higher than all of 2025 and the most in 35 years.
- The agency reported that about 93% of cases involved people who were unvaccinated or whose vaccine status was unknown.
- Kindergarten MMR coverage fell to 92.5% in 2024–25 and exemptions rose to about 3.6%, levels that experts say are below the roughly 95% needed to prevent sustained spread.
- Cases are concentrated in a handful of states with large year‑over‑year increases in South Carolina and Utah while Texas and Arizona have declined, and local health departments report strained contact tracing and response capacity.
- Biotech firms are racing to develop measles treatments, but public‑health officials emphasize vaccination as the proven way to stop transmission and warn the PAHO review in November could affect the U.S. elimination designation.