U.S. Measles Cases Top 3,000 in 2026 as Childhood Vaccination Rates Decline
U.S. measles cases reached 3,134 in 2026, the highest annual total since 1991, as childhood MMR vaccination coverage fell to 92.4%, according to CDC data.
LOS ANGELES — The United States has reported 3,134 measles cases so far in 2026 as of Thursday, Sept. 3, surpassing the 2,289 confirmed cases recorded throughout 2025 and marking the highest annual case total since 1991, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Measles cases continue to rise across the country amid declining childhood vaccination coverage.
Of the 3,134 cases, 3,118 were reported across 47 U.S. jurisdictions, while 16 cases were reported among international visitors.
A total of 248 patients have been hospitalized, representing approximately 8% of all confirmed cases. The CDC has also reported 38 measles outbreaks across the country so far this year.
94% of Confirmed Cases Unvaccinated or Vaccination Status Unknown
According to the CDC, approximately 94% of confirmed measles cases occurred among people who were unvaccinated or whose vaccination status was unknown.
Health authorities continue to recommend two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine as the best protection against measles.
The rise in cases comes as measles vaccination coverage among U.S. kindergarten children has declined in recent years.
CDC data showed that vaccination coverage among kindergartners fell to 92.4% in the 2025–2026 school year, down from 95.2% in 2019–2020.
Around 280,000 kindergarten children did not have documentation showing that they had completed the recommended MMR vaccination.
Public health authorities note that when more than 95% of people in a community are vaccinated, most people are protected through community immunity, also known as herd immunity.
The latest figures highlight growing public health concerns over the continued spread of measles in the United States as vaccination coverage falls below the level generally considered necessary to prevent sustained transmission.
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