More than 2,000 measles cases reported in the US this year as ongoing outbreaks threaten elimination status
CNN••general
Key Points:
- The United States has reported 2,065 confirmed measles cases in 2026, the highest annual total since 1992, threatening the country's measles elimination status held since 2000.
- Major outbreaks are ongoing in South Carolina's upstate region and along the Arizona-Utah border, with cases continuing to rise and nearly 300 people quarantined in South Carolina alone.
- Vaccination rates have declined, with only 92.5% of incoming kindergarteners vaccinated against measles last year, below the 95% threshold needed to prevent outbreaks.
- A large outbreak in West Texas earlier this year resulted in hundreds of cases and three deaths among unvaccinated individuals, while the Utah-Arizona outbreak has surpassed
