US measles cases top 2025 total, highest in 35 years

The United States has recorded more measles cases in the first seven months of 2026 than in all of last year, reaching the highest annual total in 35 years and threatening the nation's official measles elimination status. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced on July - 24, 2026, that 2,318 confirmed cases have been reported so far this year, surpassing the 2025 total of 2,289 cases. With more than five months remaining in the year, public health experts warn the accelerating outbreak signals a dangerous and lasting resurgence of the highly contagious virus.

The current surge is driven by widespread community transmission, not isolated travel-related cases. The CDC reports 35 distinct outbreaks, defined as three or more linked infections, across 45 states and the District of Columbia this year. Ninety-three percent of confirmed infections are associated with these outbreaks, and the same percentage of patients were either unvaccinated or had an unknown vaccination status. Children and young adults have borne the brunt, accounting for roughly 70 percent of cases. At least 151 people have been hospitalized in 2026, though no measles deaths have been reported...