U.S. sees 2,318 measles cases in 2026, highest in 35 years

The United States has recorded its highest annual number of measles cases in 35 years, with 2,318 infections reported across 45 states through July 23, according to data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This marks the worst year for the disease since 1991 and surpasses the total for all of 2025, signaling a severe and ongoing resurgence of the highly contagious virus.

The CDC reported the updated national figures on July 24. Of the patients infected this year, 93 percent were either unvaccinated or had an unknown vaccination status. About half of the cases occurred among people aged 5 to 19, and 31 percent were in adults aged 20 and older. Health officials report that 7 percent of patients have been hospitalized, though no deaths have been recorded in 2026. This follows three measles deaths in 2025, which were the first reported in the country since 2015.

Public health experts attribute the surge directly to declining vaccination coverage. The national measles vaccination rate among kindergarteners dropped to 92.5 percent for the 2024-25 school year, down from 95.2 percent during the 2019-20 school year. More than half of states saw declines, with...