US Measles Cases Hit 4,410, Highest Since 1991
The measles cases sweeping the United States are on track for the country’s worst year in more than three decades. The US has reported 4,410 confirmed cases in 2026 as of Thursday — nearly double the 2,289 cases recorded in all of 2025, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
A Record Three Decades in the Making
Of the confirmed cases, 4,392 were reported by 47 jurisdictions, with 18 more among international visitors. Children and adolescents aged 5 to 19 accounted for the largest share — 1,856 infections, or 42% of the total — while 17% were children under five.
About 10% of confirmed patients, or 451 people, have been hospitalized. And 96% of all cases were among people who were unvaccinated or whose vaccination status was unknown. The CDC recommends two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine as the best protection against the disease.
Pennsylvania at the Epicenter
The outbreak’s center of gravity remains Pennsylvania, where the state health department said Friday that 1,260 cases have been confirmed across 43 counties this year, including 238 hospitalizations and five confirmed measles-associated deaths. The state reported 38 new cases since Wednesday and is investigating a recently reported death in Franklin County.
The CDC is sending one of its scientists — an officer of the agency’s Epidemic Intelligence Service, the “disease detectives” who investigate outbreaks — to Pennsylvania to help respond. Nearby New York has already taken emergency action: Governor Kathy Hochul declared a statewide disaster emergency on October 5, effective until November 4, expanding the number of health professionals authorized to administer vaccines and giving nurses more flexibility to order measles testing.
The Vaccination Gap
Public health officials point to a steady erosion in vaccine coverage. Measles vaccination among US kindergarteners fell from 95.2% in the 2019-2020 school year to 92.4% in 2025-2026, leaving about 280,000 kindergarteners at risk because of coverage gaps.
Pennsylvania has expanded vaccination efforts in affected communities, with state health center staff administering more than 5,900 MMR doses at 202 pop-up clinics since the outbreak began in late April. Whether that is enough to break the country’s worst measles year since 1991 remains to be seen.
Source: NBC News