US Measles Cases Top 2,030 in 2026, Second Straight Year Above 2,000 as Elimination Status at Risk

The United States has recorded more than 2,030 confirmed measles cases in 2026 as of early June, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The figure marks the second consecutive year that cases have surpassed 2,000, following 2,288 cases in 2025.

The CDC reports 30 active outbreaks in 2026, with 93 percent of cases occurring in individuals who are unvaccinated or have an unknown vaccination status. Cases have been reported in 40 states and jurisdictions, with ongoing activity in Florida, Pennsylvania, Utah, and Virginia.

Public health officials are warning that the United States may lose its measles elimination status, which it has held since 2000. Elimination status requires the absence of continuous, endemic transmission for 12 months. The Pan American Health Organization is expected to review the country's status in November 2026.

"We are at a critical point," said one CDC official. "If we do not reverse this trend, we risk losing a public health achievement that took decades to build."

The surge is driven primarily by declining childhood vaccination rates. The MMR vaccine is 97 percent effective after two doses, but coverage in some communities has fallen below the 95 percent threshold needed for herd immunity. Vaccine hesitancy, fueled in part by misinformation on social media, is a primary factor in the decline.

The majority of 2026 cases, 51 percent, are occurring in individuals aged 5 to 19. Children under 5 account for 21 percent of cases. Six percent of all cases, or 127 individuals, have required hospitalization. No deaths have been reported in 2026 to date.

A major outbreak in South Carolina, the largest in the U.S. in over three decades, concluded in late April 2026. Health departments are using targeted outreach, home-based testing, and rapid vaccination campaigns to contain remaining outbreaks.