US measles cases pass 4,000 in 2026, already above last year's full-year total of 2,289
Health · Saturday, October 10, 2026 · 11 sources

US measles cases pass 4,000 in 2026, already above last year's full-year total of 2,289

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported 4,080 confirmed measles cases in 2026 as of Thursday, across 45 states and Washington, D.C. ABC News and CBS News both put the total above 2025's full-year count of 2,289, which was the highest in three decades. Pennsylvania has become the centre of the outbreak, with more than 1,000 cases and five deaths according to state health officials, though the CDC has counted only two deaths.

Bottom line — About 95% of cases are unvaccinated or of unknown status, and the US risks losing its measles elimination status first granted in 2000.

Go deeper 8

  1. ABC News quoted Dr. Peter Chin-Hong of UCSF saying the official case count probably understates the true number, since many families with measles were never tested.

  2. The CDC and Pennsylvania disagree on deaths: the state counts five measles-associated deaths, while the CDC recognises two, saying its figure is 'subject to change'.

  3. USA TODAY reported a public exchange between US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, with Kennedy accusing Shapiro of 'fabricating' the deaths and Shapiro saying Kennedy was 'downplaying the severity' of measles.

  4. NBC News reported that the outbreak in South Carolina, which exceeded 600 confirmed cases, was declared over in April, while cases have since surged in Pennsylvania.

  5. According to the CDC, kindergarten MMR vaccination coverage fell from 95.2% in the 2019-20 school year to 92.4% in 2025-26, leaving roughly 280,000 kindergartners at risk.

  6. iHeart cited a figure of about 300,000 unprotected kindergartners and a 13% hospitalisation rate, while ABC News reported that about one in 10 children under five had been hospitalised; the two sources' figures are not directly comparable.

  7. New York Governor Kathy Hochul declared an emergency over rising cases in the region, issuing an executive order to let more health professionals administer measles vaccines, according to CBS News.

  8. Dr. John Brownstein of Boston Children's Hospital told ABC News that the US has 'the tool' in an effective vaccine and called for clearer federal leadership on vaccination.

Read the reporting 11

dstld. Your daily news summary designed to surface the news that matters from a European perspective. Curated by humans, summarized by AI - always with links back to the original reporting.

Links · Contact
Popular topics · WorldEuropeGamesAI
Last generated: Oct 10, 6:24 PM UTC by wreetco

dstld. Your daily news summary designed to surface the news that matters from a European perspective. Curated by humans, summarized by AI - always with links back to the original reporting.

Links · Contact
Popular topics · WorldEuropeGamesAI
Last generated: Oct 10, 6:24 PM UTC by wreetco