Overview
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 4,588 confirmed measles cases on Oct. 22, 2026, a 4.0% week-over-week increase that roughly doubles the 2025 total.
- Federal data show 43 outbreaks in 2026 and that 96% of confirmed cases are linked to outbreaks, with 96% of patients unvaccinated or having unknown vaccination status.
- There have been 479 hospitalizations, or about 10% of cases, with higher hospital rates in children under 5 (16%) and adults 20 and older (14%), straining isolation capacity and clinical resources.
- CDC lists three measles deaths on its tracker but says that number may change as it shifts to NCHS coding and works with CSTE to standardize measles-death definitions, a difference that has produced gaps between state and federal tallies.
- Public-health response has expanded with epidemiologic support and vaccination clinics, and officials say restoring two-dose MMR coverage—which fell from about 95.2% in 2019–20 to roughly 92.4% in 2025–26, leaving an estimated 280,000 kindergartners at risk—is critical to protect infants and other vulnerable people.