US Measles Cases Hit 35-Year High, Exceed 5,000 In 2026
The United States has reported more than 5,000 cases of measles this year, marking the highest total in 35 years, according to a count released Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). As of 2026, there have been 5,182 confirmed cases of the highly contagious but preventable disease nationwide.
This figure sharply contrasts with the 2,289 cases reported for the entirety of 2025 and represents the highest number recorded by the CDC since 1991. State health officials indicate that at least eight deaths linked to measles have occurred, including among very young children.
Dr. Adam Ratner, a pediatrician specializing in infectious diseases, described the fatalities as “tragic” and emphasized that they are avoidable with vaccination.
Measles was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000 due to widespread vaccination efforts; however, recent years have seen a resurgence of the disease. This rebound is attributed to decreasing vaccination rates and growing public skepticism regarding health authorities.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a former health secretary under President Donald Trump, has been criticized for perpetuating distrust in vaccines. Known for his anti-vaccine stance, Kennedy has frequently shared misinformation about the measles vaccine and has downplayed the seriousness of the disease.
Dr. Ratner noted that Kennedy’s perspective minimizes the real dangers posed by measles and warned that “the burden of these diseases will fall on children, who are not the ones who are making these decisions.”
Measles presents with fever, respiratory symptoms, and a distinctive rash, and it can lead to severe complications such as pneumonia and encephalitis, resulting in long-term health issues or death. Before the vaccine was introduced in the early 1960s, measles was responsible for hundreds of children’s deaths annually in the United States, and it continues to claim tens of thousands of lives globally each year.
