Measles cases reach 19 in El Salvador, with 5 more infections registered in May

El Salvador has recorded a total of 19 confirmed measles cases, all of which were imported, with five new infections identified in May 2026. The Ministry of Health (Minsal) reported that four cases occurred between May 4 and May 10, and an additional case was registered the following week.

Authorities have stressed that there has been no local transmission of the virus within El Salvador for the past three decades. The initial confirmed cases earlier in the year were linked to infections acquired in Guatemala and Mexico.

In response to the imported cases, El Salvador launched a special vaccination campaign on April 10, targeting children between six months and eleven months old. This campaign remains ongoing.

Globally, the Americas region has seen a significant increase in measles cases. Between epidemiological weeks 1 and 20 of 2026, 20,521 cases and 25 deaths were reported across 16 countries and one territory, which is four times higher than the same period in 2025. Mexico and Guatemala are the most affected countries in the region, with Mexico reporting 10,920 cases and 13 deaths, and Guatemala reporting 6,209 cases and 12 deaths.