Measles cases in the United States have risen above the previous year’s total, with new infections reported in several states. The increase matters because it signals sustained outbreaks in communities with insufficient vaccination coverage and may put the country’s measles-elimination status at risk.

The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention recorded 2,318 cases by 23 July, exceeding the 2,289 reported during all of 2025. Large outbreaks in South Carolina, Utah and Arizona have driven much of the rise, while smaller clusters have appeared elsewhere; vaccination coverage below the roughly 95 per cent level needed to prevent outbreaks has heightened concern.