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U.S. measles cases surpass 2025 total, worst year since 1991

scienceJul 24, 2026542,278

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention logged 2,318 measles cases as of Thursday, surpassing 2025’s total of 2,289 and making 2026 the worst U.S. year for measles since 1991. Major outbreaks in South Carolina, Utah and Arizona have sickened hundreds; South Carolina reported 997 cases and Utah’s outbreak has infected more than 700 people during the past year. State and federal officials say official counts are incomplete because some sick people do not seek care and reporting gaps exist; South Carolina’s acting health director Brannon Traxler called the undercount impossible to know. Utah state epidemiologist Leisha Nolen said modeling and genetic analyses indicate a large Utah-Arizona border outbreak could be three to four times larger than known. National kindergarten vaccination coverage for measles, mumps and rubella fell to 92.5 percent in 2024-25 from 95.2 percent in 2019-20, below the 95 percent level considered necessary to prevent outbreaks. Public health experts note hospitalization reporting gaps limit reliable outbreak sizing; Damon Toth of the University of Utah said consistent severity measures would help estimate true spread. In November, international health officials will meet to determine whether the U.S. and Mexico have lost their measles-free status.

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