US Measles Cases Top 2,300 in 2026, Worst Outbreak in Over 30 Years, as Nation Risks Losing Elimination Status

August 5, 2026 5 Min Read

Here is the latest on US measles outbreak 2026. The United States has now confirmed more than 2,300 measles cases in 2026. In fact, surpassing all of 2025’s total and marking the country’s worst measles year since 1991. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and reporting from CIDRAP, CNN and Axios. With outbreaks active in dozens of states and vaccination coverage still below the threshold needed for herd immunity. Health officials say the US is on track to lose its measles elimination status — held since 2000 — when international reviewers assess the data this fall.

For a closer look at a related topic, see our guide to Social Security Compassionate Allowances List: 314 Conditions, 14 Just Added (2026).

Key Facts

The CDC’s July 30, 2026 weekly update put the national case total at 2,371, up 53 cases in a single week, already exceeding 2025’s full-year total of 2,289, according to CIDRAP.
93% to 94% of this year’s cases are linked to one of dozens of active outbreaks, and roughly 93% of patients are unvaccinated or have unknown vaccination status, per CDC data reported by CIDRAP.
Utah is the outbreak’s epicenter with roughly 514 to 522 confirmed cases, followed by South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Arizona and Texas, according to Axios’s state-by-state breakdown.
Zero deaths have been reported in the US from measles in 2026, compared with three deaths in 2025, per CIDRAP.
About 7% of patients have required hospitalization this year, down from 11% in 2025, CIDRAP reported.
The Pan American Health Organization’s Measles and Rubella Elimination Regional Monitoring and Re-Verification Commission is expected to review US data in November 2026 and is described as “highly likely” to strip the country’s elimination status, according to an analysis covered by CIDRAP. This detail matters for anyone following US measles outbreak 2026.

A Second Consecutive Record-Breaking Year (US measles outbreak 2026)

Measles was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000. Also, meaning the virus no longer spread continuously within the country. That status has now been threatened for two years running. CNN reported on July 24 that US measles cases had reached a 35-year high for the second record-breaking year in a row. A trend the CDC’s own weekly surveillance data confirms. By the CDC’s July 30 update. Meanwhile, the confirmed 2026 total of 2,371 cases had already eclipsed the 2,289 cases recorded across all of 2025. According to CIDRAP’s reporting on the agency’s figures. This detail matters for anyone following US measles outbreak 2026.

Dr. Andrew Racine, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Said in comments reported by U.S. News & World Report that “halfway into 2026, the U.S. is experiencing the worst year for measles since 1991.” Racine also emphasized that the measles. Mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine is “97% effective at preventing measles,” underscoring the gap between available protection and current uptake in affected communities. This detail matters for anyone following US measles outbreak 2026.

Where the Outbreaks Are Concentrated (US measles outbreak 2026)

The 2026 outbreak is not evenly spread. According to Axios’s analysis of CDC data, seven states — South Carolina, Utah, Texas. Virginia, Florida, Pennsylvania and Arizona — account for roughly 84% of all national cases. Utah has emerged as the single largest active outbreak. With the CDC’s July 30 update putting the state’s count at 514 confirmed cases. Still, south Carolina, which had declared an earlier outbreak over in April after nearly 1,000 cases between October and March. Has seen a resurgence, reaching 670 cases by late July, per Axios. Pennsylvania saw one of the sharpest single-week jumps. Rising from 110 to 167 cases, according to CIDRAP. This detail matters for anyone following US measles outbreak 2026.

CIDRAP also reported that the vast majority of this year’s transmission has been locally acquired rather than travel-related: only 16 of the more than 2,300 cases nationwide have been directly tied to international travel. With the remainder spreading domestically across 45 jurisdictions. This detail matters for anyone following US measles outbreak 2026.

Who Is Getting Sick, and Why Vaccination Status Matters

CDC data cited by CIDRAP shows that about 20% of this year’s confirmed cases involve children age 5 and under. And roughly half involve children and young adults between ages 5 and 19. Also, across nearly all cases, the common thread is vaccination status: CIDRAP reported that 93% of patients were unvaccinated or had unknown vaccination status at the time of infection.

Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff addressed the outbreak directly, telling reporters. “This disease is preventable,” in comments reported by CIDRAP, reiterating the importance of MMR vaccination. Public health researchers cited by CIDRAP in coverage of the elimination-status risk concluded that “strengthening vaccination efforts, reducing exemption rates. Meanwhile, and interrupting ongoing local transmission will be essential to reverse this trajectory.”

The elimination-status math is specific: to keep the designation. A country generally needs to show no continuous domestic transmission chain lasting more than 12 months, alongside high sustained vaccination coverage. An earlier CIDRAP analysis found the current US incidence rate has exceeded 90 cases per 10 million people. Far above the elimination threshold of fewer than 1 case per 10 million. Meanwhile, measles’ effective transmission rate has been above the critical value of 1.0 on the majority of days studied this year. Kindergarten MMR vaccination coverage nationally fell below the 95% level considered necessary for herd immunity during the 2024–25 school year, according to the same analysis.

What Losing Elimination Status Would Mean

Losing elimination status would not change how measles is treated medically. But it would be a significant symbolic and public health marker — an acknowledgment that a disease the US worked for decades to stop from circulating domestically is now doing so again, continuously, in multiple states. The Pan American Health Organization’s regional commission is set to formally review the US case data and transmission patterns in November 2026. As a result, and CIDRAP’s reporting on independent analyses describes that outcome as “highly likely” given current trends.

For families, the practical guidance from health authorities remains consistent: the MMR vaccine, given in two doses, offers strong protection. And unvaccinated individuals — particularly young children — remain the group most at risk during active outbreaks in affected states. Parents with questions about vaccination status or exposure risk are encouraged to consult their pediatrician or state health department. Both of which are tracking outbreak locations in real time as the situation develops through the rest of 2026.

This article is for general news information only and is not medical advice. Consult a licensed healthcare provider for guidance on vaccination or any medical concern.