Measles surge hits new milestone as US cases surpass last year's total

Measles has reemerged as a persistent public health challenge in the U.S. over the past two years — and the spread isn't slowing down.

According to a Johns Hopkins University tracker that compiles local and state health data, there were 2,295 confirmed measles cases in the U.S. as of July 22.

This figure has officially surpassed the 2025 numbers, which totaled 2,286 measles cases nationwide.

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Cases have been reported across the country, but concentrated outbreaks have worsened in some areas of Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Florida, Virginia, Utah, Texas and Arizona. In 2025, Texas had the largest outbreak, totaling 803 cases throughout the state.

In the latest CDC measles update on July 17, there were 34 new outbreaks reported in 2026, compared to 48 outbreaks in 2025. Most cases were associated with local outbreaks, while some were linked to international visitors.

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Both this year and last year, 93% of all measles patients were either unvaccinated for measles, mumps and rubella (MMR), or had an unknown vaccination status, data shows.

Most cases have occurred in children and young adults between the ages of 5 and 19. There have been no deaths reported in 2026, according to the CDC, but there were three deaths in 2025.

The rise in cases comes more than two decades after health agencies reported that the disease was eliminated in 2000.

Measles can be spread through direct contact with infectious droplets, or can be airborne when an infected person breathes, coughs or sneezes, according to health officials. The virus can remain infectious in the air for up to two hours after an infected person leaves an area.

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Symptoms usually appear within a week or two, and may include a high fever, cough, runny nose and red, watery eyes.

A few days later, flat, red spots appear on the face and then spread down the neck to the rest of the body. People are most contagious in the four days before and four days after the rash appears.

Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News senior medical analyst, emphasized the highly contagious nature of measles.

"Measles is so contagious that up to 90% of susceptible people who are exposed to an infected person will become infected," he told Fox News Digital, noting the importance of community protection. "We need a 95% vaccine coverage rate to ensure herd immunity," he said.

The herd immunity threshold is a mathematical estimate based on how contagious a disease is and how effectively immunity from vaccination or prior infection prevents its spread, according to Siegel.

"In this case, two-dose vaccination is almost 100% effective, and natural immunity after a measles infection is generally lifelong," the doctor said. "This isn’t about personal choice, it’s about community protection. We need to protect those who can’t have a live virus vaccine because they are immunocompromised or pregnant."

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The doctor also cautioned that the U.S. could be at risk of losing its measles elimination status, as the number and duration of outbreaks suggest sustained local transmission within the U.S., rather than isolated cases linked only to international travel.

The CDC recommends that everyone receive two doses of the MMR vaccine, calling vaccination the best protection against measles.

Anyone who is showing measles symptoms or thinks they’ve been exposed should self-isolate and contact their doctor before showing up to a medical center and infecting others.