U.S. Measles Cases Surge to Highest Count in 35 Years, CDC Reports

Children and adolescents account for roughly 60 % of confirmed measles cases.

Published On 7 Nov 20267 Nov 2026

A total of 5,182 confirmed measles cases have been reported in the United States to date in 2026, according to data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

This figure represents the highest number of cases for the highly contagious, vaccine‑preventable disease recorded by the CDC since 1991.

Children under five years old comprise 18 % of cases, while those aged five to 19 account for 41 % of infections.

In total, children and teenagers make up about 59 % of all confirmed cases.

The majority of cases—4,993 in total—were linked to outbreaks.

The surge coincides with a decline in vaccination coverage among U.S. kindergarteners, which fell from 95.2 % in the 2019‑2020 school year to 92.4 % in the 2025‑2026 school year.

By November 2026, the confirmed case count was more than double the 2,289 cases recorded in 2025.

Dispute over death toll

CDC data show that four people have died from measles in 2026.

However, the federal death toll is lower than the number of measles‑related deaths reported by state health officials, especially in Pennsylvania, the hardest‑hit state.

Pennsylvania’s Department of Health has reported six deaths and 1,487 cases this year.

The discrepancy has sparked a dispute between Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over how measles deaths are classified.

Pennsylvania defines a “measles‑associated” death as a case where a person with confirmed measles dies within 30 days of symptom onset, unless another cause is identified.

In August, Pennsylvania announced that two unvaccinated individuals died of measles. The CDC initially included those deaths in its national tally but later removed them after Secretary Kennedy, a vaccine skeptic, questioned whether measles contributed to the fatalities.

The CDC says it is collaborating with the U.S. Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists to develop a standardized definition for measles‑related deaths.

Public health experts caution that the classification dispute places the CDC at odds with long‑standing practices for tracking measles outcomes.

Epidemiologists have told Al Jazeera that tracking “measles‑associated” deaths has been a standard method employed by the World Health Organization and the CDC.

The United States declared the virus eliminated over two decades ago. Globally, measles cases are rising, particularly in communities with vaccine hesitancy or limited health‑care access.

Experts stress that declining immunization rates in any region can endanger populations far beyond geographic borders, underscoring that measles prevention is a shared global responsibility.

Source link