# US measles cases reach 35-year high

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/us-measles-cases-reach-35-year-high/
- Published: 2026-07-22T18:46:14+00:00
- Updated: 2026-07-28T05:21:10+00:00
- Original publisher: The Hill (publisher lean: Centre)
- Original article: https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/5983731-us-measles-cases-hit-record/
- Topics: Americas, Politics, World

## Key points

- US measles cases reached their highest level since 1991.
- Confirmed cases exceeded 2025’s total by late July.
- Most cases were among unvaccinated younger people.

## Summary

US measles cases have risen to their highest annual level since 1991, surpassing the previous year’s total with months of 2026 still remaining. The increase highlights the impact of falling vaccination coverage and outbreaks in communities with lower uptake of the MMR vaccine, despite measles having been declared eliminated in the US in 2000.

The CDC recorded 2,318 confirmed cases by 23 July, compared with 2,289 during all of 2025, across 44 states and Washington, DC. About 93% of cases in 2025 and 2026 were in unvaccinated people, mostly under 20; 151 hospitalisations had been reported in 2026, with no deaths at that point.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.