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🇺🇸 United States /Health & Science

Maps and Charts Show Record Number of Measles Cases in U.S. This Year

From CBS News · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Documents & data Ongoing story
  • The U.S. has recorded its highest number of measles cases in over three decades in 2026.
  • Outbreaks have spread across multiple states, putting the nation at risk of losing its measles elimination status.
  • Health experts attribute the rise to declining vaccination rates, with only 10 states meeting the critical threshold for herd immunity.

The United States is grappling with a significant resurgence of measles, recording the highest number of cases in more than 30 years by August 2026. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reveals that outbreaks have proliferated across numerous states, jeopardizing the nation's official measles elimination status, which has been maintained since 2000.

By mid-July, the number of confirmed cases had already surpassed the total for all of 2025, a year that saw over 2,200 cases, including an outbreak in West Texas linked to two child fatalities. Prior to 2025, the highest recent annual total was 1,274 cases in 2019, primarily driven by outbreaks in New York, California, and Washington state.

When more than 95% of people in a community are vaccinated, most people are protected through community immunity (herd immunity).

— CDCThe CDC explains the importance of vaccination rates for community protection.

Health experts largely attribute this alarming increase to declining vaccination rates. The majority of measles cases occur in unvaccinated individuals, with outbreaks often concentrated in communities exhibiting lower vaccination coverage. CDC data indicates a drop in measles vaccination rates among kindergartners, falling from 95.2% in the 2019-2020 school year to 92.7% in the 2023-2024 school year. Only 10 states currently meet the CDC's recommended 95% threshold for community immunity, or herd immunity.

"When more than 95% of people in a community are vaccinated, most people are protected through community immunity (herd immunity)," the CDC explains. Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, director of the National Institutes of Health, emphasized the importance of childhood vaccinations, stating, "I think that parents, for most kids, especially for the measles vaccines, the DTP, all the standard childhood vaccines, it's very important that parents vaccinate their kids."

I think that parents, for most kids, especially for the measles vaccines, the DTP, all the standard childhood vaccines, it's very important that parents vaccinate their kids.

— Dr. Jay BhattacharyaThe director of the National Institutes of Health stressed the importance of childhood vaccinations.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by CBS News in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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