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Measles cases surpass 5,000 in the US with infections confirmed in 45 states: CDC
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Key Points:
- Measles cases in the U.S. have exceeded 5,000 in 2026, with 5,182 confirmed cases across 45 states and Washington, D.C., including 18 cases among international visitors, according to the CDC.
- Eight measles-associated deaths have been reported this year, with recent fatalities in New York, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin marking some of the first such deaths in decades in those states.
- Approximately 96% of measles cases involve individuals who are unvaccinated or have unknown vaccination status, while only 4% of cases occurred in those who received one or two doses of the MMR vaccine.
- The majority of cases are among children and teenagers aged 5 to 19, with over 11% of cases resulting in hospitalization, particularly affecting children under 5 years old.
- Vaccination rates have declined since the COVID-19 pandemic, with 92.4% of kindergartners vaccinated in 2025-26 compared to 95.2% in 2019-20, despite CDC recommendations for two doses of the MMR vaccine for effective protection.
