Measles cases nationwide top 5,412 as deaths rise to 10 across the country, according to data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Status Review in Washington
The United States is on the brink of losing its official measles elimination status after more than 25 years. A panel of experts meeting in Washington, D.C., under the Pan American Health Organization is reviewing whether the country has experienced uninterrupted, endemic transmission of the virus for 12 months.
The country first earned this distinguished status in 2000, when the Pan American Health Organization determined that endemic transmission of the virus had been successfully interrupted. The ongoing review examines epidemiological data covering 2025 and the first half of 2026 to assess whether the virus has circulated continuously without requiring imported infections.
Other countries in the region are facing review during meetings in Washington, D.C., with Canada having lost its status previously and Mexico also evaluated for prolonged transmission. Across the broader region, the Pan American Health Organization reported 57,666 confirmed measles cases across 17 countries and territories between January and October of 2026. For the United States, the review window follows a sustained surge of outbreaks that began in January 2025.
That review follows a sharp surge in infections. The CDC reported that cases have spread across 45 states, more than doubling the 2,289 confirmed infections recorded throughout 2025. Federal data notes that the confirmed count reached 5,412 infections as of mid-November, marking the country’s worst measles outbreak since 1991.
The Johns Hopkins University International Vaccine Access Center tracker, along with other health data aggregators, has monitored the rapid spread across communities, noting that cases have appeared across 47 states, the District of Columbia, and New York City.
“It’s a loss of stature.” It’s a loss of achievement, said Jennifer Nuzzo, describing the potential demotion.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in a 2021 book wrote that Americans had been "misled … into believing that measles is a deadly disease." He said measles outbreaks had been "fabricated" to push people towards vaccines. https://t.co/lBXK42mpjj pic.twitter.com/lo7ZA0nv8F
“That is a tremendous step backwards,” said Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
Other public health leaders have weighed in on the trajectory of the virus. Ali Khan, a medical epidemiologist and dean of the College of Public Health at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, said that the disease serves as an ultimate stress test for public health infrastructure.
Michael Osterholm, director of the University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, pointed out that vaccination rates vary wildly within states, creating pockets of unprotected individuals.
Unvaccinated Individuals Drive Measles Spread Among Children and Adults
Federal data shows that 96 percent of this year’s measles patients were either unvaccinated or had unknown vaccination status. Children aged 5 to 19 account for a large share of infections, while adults aged 20 and older represent 41 percent of the total cases reported this year. Meanwhile, patients younger than 5 years old account for 18 percent of the 2026 cases.
Achieving herd immunity requires a 95 percent vaccination rate, but coverage among kindergartners dropped from 95 percent in 2019 to 92 percent in 2026, leaving roughly 300,000 kindergartners entering classrooms without being vaccinated. Thirty-nine states now have MMR vaccination rates below the threshold required to maintain community protection, according to CDC figures, with some states reporting rates dipping well below 90 percent.
Two doses of the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine remain 97 percent effective at preventing infection. Health officials note that outbreaks continue to strain state and local departments, diverting public health resources toward containment and contact tracing.
Financial evaluations show the heavy economic footprint of these outbreaks; tools estimating public health responses, direct medical expenses, and productivity losses indicate that managing cases and mounting containment efforts costs millions of dollars in labor and municipal resources.
Medical experts emphasize that measles is exceptionally contagious. A single infected individual can transmit the virus to 90 percent of vulnerable, unvaccinated contacts, and infectious particles can linger on surfaces and in the air for up to two hours after a sick person vacates a room. Complications range from ear infections and diarrhea to pneumonia, encephalitis, and respiratory or neurological failure.
National Death Toll Reaches 10 Following New Fatalities
State health departments reported new fatalities on Friday, bringing the national death toll to 10.
Readers seeking guidance on vaccination schedules, immunization records, or exposure concerns should consult qualified healthcare professionals or local public health agencies for personalized medical advice.
Earlier coverage: CDC reports more than 5,000 measles cases, highest number in 35 years