CDC warns that additional measles cases are expected during summer travel
According to the CDC, 1,792 confirmed measles cases have been reported nationwide as of April, and that number is expected to increase as travel season approaches.
In six months, 2026 is on track to set a record for the most measles cases recorded in the United States since the highly contagious disease was eliminated from the country nearly 30 years ago.
As of June 4, approximately 2,030 measles cases from 30 separate outbreaks have reached 38 states and Washington, D.C., and at least 127 people have been hospitalized since the beginning of 2026, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The majority, 92%, occurred in unvaccinated people, and 72% occurred in children under 19 years of age.
At this pace with only six months left, 2026 will blow away 2025.
The number of infections is expected to reach a 30-year high in 2025, with 2,242 confirmed cases across 45 jurisdictions throughout the year. Almost 90% of cases were directly linked to 45 known outbreaks, and 93% of infections were transmitted by people who were unvaccinated or whose vaccination status was unknown. The outbreak killed three people, including two children, and was the first child death due to measles in 10 years.
Here’s what you need to know as cases rapidly move towards a grim new milestone in 2026.
Number of measles cases by state
As of June 4, 2026, 2,030 confirmed measles cases have been reported in the United States. Ten of them were from overseas travelers. The remaining 2,020 cases occurred in 38 states and Washington, DC.
- alaska
- arizona
- California
- colorado
- District of Columbia
- florida
- georgia
- idaho
- illinois
- Kansas
- kentucky
- louisiana
- maine
- maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- minnesota
- missouri
- montana
- nebraska
- new jersey
- new mexico
- new york
- north carolina
- north dakota
- ohio
- oklahoma
- Oregon
- pennsylvania
- rhode island
- south carolina
- south dakota
- texas
- Utah
- vermont state
- virginia
- washington
- wisconsin
- wyoming
What is measles and how is it transmitted?
Measles is a highly contagious, vaccine-preventable disease caused by a virus that primarily affects children the most. According to the World Health Organization, it infects the respiratory tract before spreading throughout the body. It is characterized by a high fever, cough, runny nose, watery eyes, and a rash or bumps that appear 7 to 14 days after exposure.
Viruses are among the most contagious infectious diseases. In fact, it is so contagious that 90% of unvaccinated people will become infected. Additionally, 1 in 5 people will be hospitalized, according to the CDC.
The MMR vaccine (measles, mumps, rubella) prevents measles with 97% efficacy and is usually given to children as part of a routine vaccination course, with the first dose between 12 and 15 months of age and the second dose between 4 and 6 years of age.
Why are the number of measles infections increasing?
MMR vaccination coverage has declined in recent years, resulting in more states not reporting coverage consistent with herd immunity. If more than 95% of people in a community are vaccinated, most people will be protected even if they cannot get the vaccine because those around them are immune and cannot spread the disease.
According to the CDC, vaccination rates among U.S. kindergarteners decreased from 95.2% in the 2019-2020 school year to 92.5% in the 2024-2025 school year, well below the threshold needed for effective herd immunity.
Outbreaks like the one in Texas in 2025 often occur in communities with large populations of unvaccinated people. For example, small, poorly vaccinated Mennonite communities were at the center of some of the largest outbreaks last year.
The decline in vaccinations has also been blamed on a growing anti-vaccination movement, fueled by the confirmation of vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as secretary of health. In addition to his anti-vaccination rhetoric, President Kennedy downplayed measles-related childhood deaths and promoted false treatments and prevention methods, such as the use of vitamin A. At the height of the epidemic in 2025, it backed off somewhat from its anti-vaccination message and encouraged measles vaccination.
Plummeting vaccination rates and a subsequent resurgence in cases are putting the United States at risk of losing its measles-free status. The WHO’s definition is that a disease does not continue to spread for at least one year, and reaching elimination status is what the CDC calls a “historic public health achievement.”
The Pan American Health Organization, part of the World Health Organization that tracks infectious diseases in the Americas, is scheduled to review the measles elimination status of the United States and Mexico in November, moving forward from the originally scheduled April date. The organization said in a statement that the U.S. review will be based on the 2025 outbreak. PAHO already lifted Canada’s exempt status in November for the first time in 30 years.
