US Measles Cases Reach 5,182 in 2026, Highest Since 1991

The United States had 5,182 confirmed measles cases in 2026 as of Nov. 5, according to CDC data updated Nov. 6. Al Jazeera reported that the total is the highest annual count since 1991. The count is more than double the 2,289 cases reported in 2025.

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Key Highlights

The CDC reported 5,182 cases across 47 jurisdictions as of Nov. 5, including 18 cases among international visitors.
CIDRAP said 330 new cases were added in the latest week, the 13th straight week of triple-digit increases.
About 96% of cases are in people who are unvaccinated or whose status is unknown, ABC reported.
The number of deaths differs depending on the source.

US Measles Cases in 2026: Where the Numbers Stand

ABC reported that the CDC data, updated Friday, Nov. 6, shows at least 11% of patients were hospitalized, including more than 1 in 10 children under 5. Al Jazeera said 4,993 of the cases are linked to outbreaks.

Children and teens make up about 59% of cases, according to Al Jazeera: 18% are under 5 and 41% are ages 5 to 19. Eighteen cases were among international visitors, ABC reported.

CIDRAP noted that some state counts run ahead of the CDC’s. Wisconsin reported 477 cases to the CDC’s 419, and Indiana’s state count was also higher.

Hardest-Hit States

Pennsylvania is the hardest-hit state, with 1,487 cases according to its health department, as reported by Al Jazeera and CIDRAP. Ohio reported 311 cases, Kentucky 204 and New York 210, CIDRAP said.

Paul Offit, a physician at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, said of Pennsylvania, “I don’t want to jinx it, but it looks like we may be getting on top of it here in Pennsylvania,” CIDRAP reported.

Why the Death Count Differs

ABC reported eight measles-associated deaths this year: six in Pennsylvania, one in New York and one in Wisconsin. It said the CDC’s national tally listed four measles deaths as of Nov. 5, and the agency says the figure may change as additional information and reviews are completed.

Al Jazeera reported that Pennsylvania counts a death as measles-associated if a person with confirmed measles dies within 30 days of symptom onset, unless an unrelated event caused the death. It said the CDC first listed two Pennsylvania deaths from August, then removed them after Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. questioned whether measles caused or contributed to them.

The CDC says it is working with the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists on a standard definition for measles deaths, according to Al Jazeera.

Vaccination and Prevention

The CDC recommends two MMR doses, the first at 12 to 15 months and the second at 4 to 6 years, ABC reported. One dose is 93% effective and two doses are 97% effective, according to the CDC.

Kindergarten MMR coverage fell to 92.4% in the 2025-26 school year from 95.2% in 2019-20, ABC and Al Jazeera reported. About 2% of cases had one MMR dose and about 2% had two doses, ABC said.

Elimination Status at Risk

The United States declared measles eliminated in 2000. CIDRAP reported that the country is expected to lose that status and that a Pan American Health Organization commission is scheduled to meet in Washington from Nov. 10 to 13 for its sixth annual meeting. Sources told CIDRAP the outcome would be largely symbolic.

CIDRAP said Offit and others believe measles is now endemic in the U.S. That is an expert view, not an official determination, and no decision on the country’s status had been announced in the reports reviewed.

What to Watch Next

Key questions are the PAHO decision on elimination status, whether weekly case counts begin to slow and whether the CDC and states settle on one way to count deaths. For more on the issues that shaped the national debate this fall, see our midterm elections coverage.

Watch: Coverage of the Measles Surge

Video: “Measles cases top 5,000 as disease spreads across U.S.” (YouTube).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agg_HS91CDc