US records 5,182 measles cases in 2026, highest in 35 years
- The CDC confirmed 5,182 measles cases in the US this year, up from 2,289 in all of 2025.
- At least eight measles-related deaths have been reported by state health officials.
- Measles was declared eliminated in the US in 2000, but falling vaccination rates have driven a comeback.
The United States has recorded 5,182 confirmed measles cases so far in 2026, the highest yearly count logged by the country's Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) since 1991, according to an official tally released on Friday.
The figure is more than double the 2,289 cases reported for the whole of 2025. State health officials have also reported at least eight deaths linked to measles, including among very young children.
Measles is a highly contagious disease that is also highly preventable through vaccination. It causes fever, respiratory symptoms and a rash, and can lead to pneumonia and brain inflammation, which may cause lasting health problems or death.
Why the numbers are rising
The US declared measles eliminated in 2000, largely because of vaccination. In recent years, however, cases have climbed as vaccination rates fall and public trust in health authorities weakens.
US Health Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr., who serves under President Donald Trump, is accused of feeding that distrust. He is known for questioning vaccines and has repeatedly spread misinformation about the measles vaccine and played down the dangers of the disease, according to the reports. The accusation has not been tested in any court.
Before a vaccine was developed in the early 1960s, measles killed hundreds of children each year in the US. Globally, it still claims tens of thousands of lives annually.
