Overview
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 5,182 confirmed measles cases in 2026 as of Thursday, marking the largest U.S. annual total since 1991.
- The outbreak has produced about 562 hospitalizations, roughly 11% of cases, and state health departments report eight deaths while the CDC’s official tally lists four because it uses National Center for Health Statistics mortality records.
- About 96% of patients were unvaccinated or had unknown vaccination status, which public-health officials say shows that low two-dose MMR coverage and local immunity gaps are driving spread.
- Cases have been recorded in 47 jurisdictions with 43 outbreaks and heavy hotspots in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and other states, placing strain on local hospitals and public-health teams responding to repeated triple-digit weekly rises.
- The U.S. had been declared measles-eliminated in 2000, a status defined by no continuous transmission for 12 months, but the region’s loss of elimination in 2025 and the current U.S. surge mean recovery will require higher vaccination rates, faster case detection and more rapid outbreak response.