Measles cases in the United States have passed 5,000 in a single year for the first time since 1991, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which confirmed 5,182 cases as of 5 November 2026. The total is more than double the 2,289 cases recorded in all of 2025, and it comes in a week in which three Americans died of the disease — an infant in Wisconsin, a child in New York, and a sixth victim in Pennsylvania, the state at the centre of the country's largest outbreak.
The milestone lands days before an international review that could strip the United States of the measles elimination status it has held since 2000. The Pan American Health Organization's expert commission is expected to decide on 10 November whether the country still meets the criteria for elimination — a designation awarded when a disease has not spread continuously within a country for at least 12 months.
Three deaths in a single week
The three deaths reported this week were each a first, or a grim landmark, for the state involved. In Wisconsin, an infant in Grant County died on 5 November, with measles listed by the coroner as the immediate cause, according to the state Department of Health Services. It was Wisconsin's first measles death since 1990, and the state has recorded 477 cases this year, a 35-year high.
"It is with a heavy heart we are reporting the first death of an infant connected with a measles outbreak in Wisconsin in many years. My heart is broken for the family. Any death of a child is a tragedy and even more so when it is related to a vaccine-preventable disease." — Kirsten Johnson, Wisconsin Department of Health Secretary
In Pennsylvania, health officials confirmed the state's sixth measles-related death of the year on 4 November. Pennsylvania is the hardest-hit state in the outbreak, with 1,487 cases and 287 hospitalisations reported as of Friday, according to Reuters, citing the state health department. And in New York, a child in Lewis County died earlier in the week — the state's first known measles-associated death in more than 30 years, according to state health officials.
The country has not seen more than four measles deaths in a year since 1991, according to USA Today. Three deaths in a single week is, on its own, an extraordinary toll for a disease the United States declared eliminated a quarter of a century ago.
Where the outbreaks are
The CDC's figures, updated on 6 November, show the outbreak is national in scope: cases have been confirmed in 45 states plus Washington, D.C., with 43 new outbreaks reported this year. Of the 5,182 cases, 4,993 — or 96% — were outbreak-associated, and 96% of all cases were among people who were unvaccinated or whose vaccination status was unknown.
| State | Cases in 2026 | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | 1,487 | Largest outbreak; 287 hospitalisations; six deaths |
| South Carolina | 670 | Second-largest state total |
| Utah | 536 | Third-largest state total |
| Wisconsin | 477 | 35-year state high; first death since 1990 |
| New York | 100+ | State of emergency declared 5 October; first death in 30+ years |
Nationally, 562 people — 11% of all cases — have been hospitalised this year, according to the CDC. The age profile is unusual: adults aged 20 and older account for 2,132 cases, tied for the largest group with children and teenagers aged 5 to 19, at 2,104. Children under five account for 908 cases. In previous outbreaks, adults made up a far smaller share — 29% last year, compared with 41% this year.
Measles is one of the most contagious diseases known: about 90% of unvaccinated people exposed to the virus contract it, and roughly one in five ends up in hospital, according to the CDC. The MMR vaccine is about 97% effective after two doses, given at 12–15 months and again at 4–6 years.
Two different death counts
Readers following the outbreak will notice a confusing gap in the numbers: the CDC's national page lists four measles deaths in 2026, while state health departments have reported eight — six in Pennsylvania, one in Wisconsin and one in New York, according to a tally by ABC News.
The discrepancy comes from a change in how the CDC counts deaths. The agency switched this year from state health departments' figures to mortality data from the National Center for Health Statistics, which lags behind state reporting. The CDC says its figure can change as information and reviews are completed. State figures, by contrast, are announced as deaths are confirmed by state health departments and coroners.
The death toll is disputed in public: US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has accused Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro of "fabricating" the deaths, while Shapiro has said Kennedy is "downplaying the severity of measles," according to USA Today. The CDC said on 13 October that it would deploy more support to Pennsylvania to investigate the outbreak. The figures in this article are the ones reported by the CDC and by state health departments, each attributed to its source.
Elimination status on the line
Measles was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000, which the CDC called a "historic public health achievement." Elimination does not mean the virus never appears — it means it does not spread continuously within the country for 12 months or more.
That status is now in doubt. The World Health Organization's regional body, the Pan American Health Organization, is scheduled to review US transmission data on 10 November. If its expert commission finds that a single viral strain has circulated continuously for 12 months, the status goes. Canada already lost its measles-free status in November 2025.
Public health officials caution that the reported figures likely understate the true spread: the CDC counts only cases confirmed by doctors and reported to the agency, so people who fall ill without seeking a diagnosis are not included, and the CDC's counts tend to lag behind state reporting because they are updated only weekly.
Why measles is spreading again
The pattern behind the numbers is consistent. Almost all illnesses — 96% — were contracted by unvaccinated people or those with unknown vaccination status. MMR vaccination uptake has declined in recent years, and more states no longer meet the herd immunity threshold, according to USA Today.
The resurgence follows a multi-decade high in 2025, when 2,289 infections were confirmed across 43 states plus Washington, D.C., and three people died — the first paediatric measles deaths in the United States in a decade. All three were unvaccinated or had unknown vaccination status. This year's total has already more than doubled that figure, with nearly two months of the year still to run.
Frequently asked questions
How many measles cases has the US had in 2026?
The CDC has confirmed 5,182 cases as of 5 November 2026, the highest annual total since 1991, when 9,643 cases were recorded. The figure is more than double the 2,289 cases recorded in all of 2025.
How many people have died?
The CDC's national count lists four deaths in 2026. State health departments have reported eight in total: six in Pennsylvania, one infant in Wisconsin and one child in New York. The gap reflects the CDC's switch to federal mortality records, which lag behind state announcements.
Could the US lose its measles elimination status?
Yes. The Pan American Health Organization is expected to review US transmission data on 10 November. If it finds one viral strain has circulated continuously for 12 months, the elimination status the US has held since 2000 would be withdrawn. Canada lost its status in November 2025.
Who is most at risk?
Unvaccinated people. About 96% of this year's cases were among people who were unvaccinated or whose vaccination status was unknown, and about 90% of unvaccinated people exposed to measles contract it. Two doses of the MMR vaccine are about 97% effective.
Key takeaways
- The CDC has confirmed 5,182 US measles cases in 2026, the highest annual total since 1991 and more than double last year's 2,289.
- Three people died in a single week: an infant in Wisconsin, a child in New York and a sixth victim in Pennsylvania.
- State health departments have reported eight deaths in total; the CDC's national count lists four, because it now uses federal mortality records that lag behind state reporting.
- The Pan American Health Organization reviews the US measles elimination status on 10 November; Canada lost its status in November 2025.
- About 96% of cases were among unvaccinated people or those with unknown vaccination status.
What to watch next: the Pan American Health Organization's decision on 10 November, which will determine whether the United States keeps its elimination status, and the CDC's next weekly update, which will show whether the outbreak is still accelerating into the winter months. Health officials in the hardest-hit states — Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Utah and Wisconsin — are urging anyone unsure of their vaccination status to check it with a doctor, and to get the MMR vaccine if they have not had two doses.
