The United States hasn’t seen this much measles in over three decades. As of August 13, the CDC has confirmed 2,566 measles cases in 2026 — already surpassing the entirety of last year, which was itself the worst year since 1991. And this August carries an added weight: a federal committee is meeting this month to review whether the US still qualifies for “measles elimination” status, a designation the country has held since 2000.
Key Takeaways
- The US has confirmed 2,566 measles cases in 2026 as of August 13, spread across 47 states and jurisdictions — the highest annual total since the 1989-1991 resurgence, when the country saw more than 55,000 infections.
- 169 people have been hospitalized this year, with no deaths reported so far, compared to 243 hospitalizations and 3 deaths in all of 2025.
- 93% of this year’s cases are in people who were unvaccinated or whose vaccination status is unknown.
- A federal advisory committee is reviewing the country’s measles elimination status this month, with a final determination from the Pan American Health Organization expected in November.
Why the Numbers Keep Climbing
Measles elimination doesn’t mean zero cases — it means the disease isn’t spreading continuously within the country, with any outbreak traced back to travel-related exposure and stopped within about a year. The CDC is now tracking 38 separate outbreaks in 2026, and 94% of this year’s cases are linked to one of those outbreaks. South Carolina has recorded the most cases of any state this year, with an outbreak that began in the Spartanburg area and became one of the largest the country has seen in decades before finally ending in the spring. Other states with significant case counts this year include Texas, Utah, and Florida.
The pattern in the data has stayed consistent all year: this is overwhelmingly a disease of the unvaccinated. Public health researchers point to declining childhood vaccination rates as the underlying driver — national coverage for the 2024-2025 school year was about 92.5%, down from 95.2% in 2019-2020, and measles requires roughly 95% vaccination coverage in a community to prevent sustained spread. That gap, small as it looks on paper, is enough to let the virus find pockets of unvaccinated people and keep moving.
Why the “Elimination Status” Review Matters
The US has held measles elimination status since 2000, a designation that reflects decades of successful vaccination policy and serves as an internationally recognized marker of public health strength. Losing it wouldn’t change how dangerous measles is day to day, but it would be a symbolic and public health marker that the disease has re-established a persistent foothold here rather than just causing isolated, travel-linked outbreaks. “This essentially is a public health failure, and it’s avoidable,” one public health researcher told CNN earlier this summer, describing the broader resurgence. Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, told TIME magazine that measles “is epidemic in the United States” at this point, and that travelers coming into the country should make sure their own vaccinations are current.
Who’s Actually Getting Sick
Roughly two-thirds of this year’s patients are 19 or younger, and severity has tracked closely with vaccination status throughout the year — unvaccinated patients face meaningfully higher hospitalization rates than those with even partial vaccination. While no deaths have been reported in 2026 so far, three people died from measles in 2025, including two children in West Texas with no underlying health conditions — the first pediatric measles deaths in the US in more than two decades. Measles can cause complications ranging from ear infections and pneumonia to encephalitis, a brain inflammation that can cause permanent damage.
What This Means for You
The measles vaccine (MMR) remains highly effective — two doses provide about 97% protection. If you or your children’s vaccination records are unclear, or you have an upcoming trip, the most useful step is a simple one: check your records with your doctor now and close any gaps, rather than waiting for symptoms or an outbreak in your area. Anyone who develops a rash after recent travel, particularly alongside fever, cough, or red, watery eyes, should call a doctor before showing up in person, since measles is highly contagious in waiting rooms.
Sources: CDC, Measles Cases and Outbreaks (data as of Aug. 13, 2026); Reuters, “US CDC records more than 2,500 measles cases so far in 2026” (Aug. 14, 2026); CNN, “US measles cases reach 35-year high, for second record-breaking year in a row” (July 2026); TIME, “Measles Cases in the U.S. Are at a 35-Year High” (July 2026).