US measles cases top 5,000, highest since 1991

The United States has recorded 5,182 confirmed measles cases so far in 2026, the highest number in 35 years, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention count released Friday.

The CDC figure is more than double the 2,289 cases recorded during all of 2025 and is the highest level reported by the agency since 1991.

State health officials have reported at least eight measles-related deaths this year, including among very young children.

Measles was declared eradicated from the United States in 2000 after vaccination campaigns, but the disease has returned in recent years as vaccination rates have declined and distrust of health authorities has grown.

Measles can cause fever, respiratory symptoms and a rash. In some cases it can lead to serious complications including pneumonia and brain inflammation, which can cause long-term health problems or death.

Before a vaccine was developed in the early 1960s, measles killed hundreds of children each year in the United States. It still kills tens of thousands of people worldwide.