U.S. measles cases in 2026 are the highest since 1991, with almost three months left in the year

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had confirmed 4,080 measles cases in 2026 as of Oct. 8, compared with 2,289 for all of 2025 and 1,274 in 2019. The last year with more cases was 1991, when there were 9,643.

How the year built up

Cases passed 1992's total of 2,126 in the CDC's June 25 update and passed all of 2025 in the July 23 update. The count is still climbing by about 190 a week, with 946 cases added in the five weeks to Oct. 8.

Where the cases are

Of this year's cases, 3,897 (96%) are linked to 42 outbreaks. The largest outbreaks, as reported by the AP, have been in Pennsylvania (1,105 cases), South Carolina (670), Utah (535), Wisconsin (207), Kentucky (104) and New York (103). About 10% of patients, 414 people, have been hospitalized. The CDC lists two deaths, a figure it marks as subject to change, while Pennsylvania has reported five, and 2025 had three.

Why outbreaks are spreading

Measles is one of the most contagious viruses known, and outbreaks generally take hold where fewer than about 95% of people are immune. Kindergarten coverage for the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine was 92.4% in the 2025–26 school year, down from 95.2% in 2019–20, and vaccine exemptions reached 4.2% of kindergartners, the highest the CDC has reported. Between 93% and 95% of this year's patients were unvaccinated or had an unknown vaccination status.

Elimination status

The U.S. was declared free of endemic measles in 2000, meaning the virus had not circulated continuously for 12 months. A federal panel was reviewing in August whether the country has lost that status, and we couldn't find a decision.

What's next

The CDC updates its count weekly, and the gap between its death count and Pennsylvania's is likely to be resolved as death certificates are processed.

How we counted: confirmed cases by year of rash onset from the CDC's measles data page (2018–2026) and earlier CDC totals as compiled on Wikipedia (2000–2017), with 1991 from a Congressional Research Service report and 1992 from CDC figures reported by Contemporary Pediatrics. The 2026 figure is year to date through Oct. 8 and will be revised.