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US measles cases surpass 5,000 with infections confirmed in 45 states, CDC data shows
Yahoo • • health
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.
- There have been eight confirmed measles-related deaths this year, including the first in New York in over 30 years, with fatalities reported in Pennsylvania, New York, and Wisconsin.
- Approximately 96% of measles cases involve individuals who are unvaccinated or have unknown vaccination status, while only 4% of cases occurred in those partially or fully vaccinated with the MMR vaccine.
- The majority of cases are among children and teenagers aged 5 to 19, with at least 11% of cases resulting in hospitalization, particularly affecting children under 5 years old.
- Vaccination rates have declined in recent years, with 92.4% of kindergartners receiving the MMR vaccine in the 2025-26 school year, down from 95.2% in the 2019-20 school year before the COVID-19 pandemic.
