WASHINGTON — The United States has confirmed 2,318 measles infections so far this year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced on Friday. Reaching this threshold in just the first seven months of the year, the 2026 figures have already surpassed the total tally of 2,289 cases recorded in the entirety of 2025. Medical experts note that this represents the highest annual total of the highly contagious disease in 35 years, drawing alarming parallels to the major resurgence observed between 1989 and 1991. The surge has severely impacted younger demographics, with individuals aged 19 and under comprising 69% of the tracked cases, and a fifth of the total infections occurring in children under the age of five.
Public health officials and epidemiologists have directly linked the resurgence to a steady slump in measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) immunization rates, which began declining during the pandemic. The national average for vaccine coverage among kindergarten children has dropped to 92.5%, falling short of the 95% threshold required to maintain effective herd immunity. In at least 16 states, coverage has plummeted below 90%. Medical bodies, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, have pointed to a growing public distrust in immunizations, fueled in part by controversial policy shifts and vaccine skepticism espoused by federal health leadership. The CDC noted that 93% of this year’s infected individuals were completely unvaccinated, with major outbreaks heavily concentrated across 45 states, including South Carolina, Utah, Arizona, Texas, and Florida
