Full Breakdown
U.S. Measles Cases Hit 35-Year High in 2026
7/25/2026, 11:19:23 AM
Core Event
The CDC reported 2,318 confirmed measles infections in the United States as of July 23, 2026, surpassing the 2,289 cases recorded for all of 2025 and marking the highest annual total since 1991. Cases have appeared in 45 states and the District of Columbia, with 93 % in people who are unvaccinated or whose vaccination status is unknown. Hospitalizations total 151, and 69 % of infections involve individuals <= 19 years old; children < 5 years account for one-fifth of cases.
Background & Context
Measles was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, routine MMR immunization rates have slipped; kindergarten-age coverage fell to 92.5 % in the 2024-25 school year, below the 95 % herd-immunity threshold. Policy changes under HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.—including dismissal of the CDC’s vaccine advisory panel and a reduced childhood vaccine schedule—have been linked by experts to the current vaccination slump.
Data & Statistics
| Metric | CDC | Johns Hopkins |
|---|---|---|
| Confirmed cases (July 23) | 2,318 | 2,295 (July 22) |
| States reporting | 45 + DC | 44 |
| Hospitalizations | 151 | 146 |
| Unvaccinated/unknown | 93 % | 93 % |
| Cases <= 19 years | 69 % | — |
| Children < 5 years | 20 % | — |
| Outbreaks declared 2026 | 35 | 34 |
| Kindergarten coverage (2024-25) | 92.5 % | — |
Why It Matters
The surge threatens the United States’ measles-elimination status, which requires no continuous domestic transmission for 12 months. The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) will review the U.S. and Mexico’s status in November; a loss would be the first since 2000 and could affect travel protocols and public-health credibility.
Official Statements & Responses
Criticism & Opposition
- Andrew Racine, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, called the federal response a “public health failure.”
On-the-Ground Reports
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- The CDC’s weekly update listed 2,318 cases on July 23, while the Johns Hopkins tracker reported 2,295 cases on July 22; the CDC updates weekly, the tracker incorporates real-time state reports.
- Hospitalization data are incomplete in many states, making it difficult to gauge the true severity of the outbreak.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Reaching this milestone is particularly striking because we are ?only in July, and measles cases are still being reported throughout the country,” — William Moss, center executive director
- “We have joined the rank of countries where vaccination is not reaching the levels needed to protect all of our children against some of the most contagious diseases,” — Dr. Richard Besser, pediatrician and RWJF president
