US measles cases reach 2,318, surpassing full-year 2025 total
The United States recorded 2,318 measles cases in 2026 by July 24, exceeding the 2,289 reported in all of 2025 and marking the country’s highest annual count since 1991.
The United States has recorded 2,318 measles cases so far in 2026, surpassing the 2,289 cases reported during all of 2025 with more than five months left in the year.
Figures released by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday, July 24, make 2026 the country’s worst year for measles since 1991. The United States had declared local transmission of the disease eliminated in 2000.
Large outbreaks in South Carolina, Utah and Arizona have accounted for hundreds of infections, while additional clusters have appeared in other states. Public-health specialists caution that the official total may understate the outbreak because not every infected person seeks medical care.
Vaccination coverage has fallen below the roughly 95 percent level generally considered necessary to prevent measles outbreaks. International health officials are expected to meet in November to assess whether the United States and Mexico should retain their measles-elimination status.
The American Academy of Pediatrics described the rise as an avoidable crisis that is disproportionately harming children, pointing to hospitalisations, missed school and disruption for families.
Two configured AddisMizan source records, from The Guardian and Al Jazeera, independently reported the same CDC case total and milestone on July 24.
