US Measles Cases Hit Worst Year in 35 Years, per CDC
Cases top 3,200 as 2026 shatters last year's record
The CDC has confirmed 3,294 measles cases so far this year, making 2026 the worst year for the disease in the United States since 1991.
The total easily surpassed the 2,289 cases logged during all of 2025, which at the time was the worst year in more than three decades. Cases have now been reported across 45 states, with roughly 93% of those infected unvaccinated.
Outbreaks in multiple states drive the surge
Major outbreaks in South Carolina, Utah and Arizona have sickened hundreds and pushed the national count higher, alongside dozens of smaller clusters in other states. The CDC reported 35 new outbreaks in 2026, with about 93% of confirmed cases tied to an outbreak.
Public health experts warn the true count is likely higher, since some infected people never get tested or reported. Measles is among the most contagious viruses known to medicine.
Vaccination rates slip below the safety threshold
The United States declared measles eliminated in 2000, but that status is now in danger. National MMR vaccination rates among kindergartners fell to 92.5% in the 2024-25 school year, below the 95% coverage needed to prevent outbreaks.
International health officials are expected to meet in November to determine whether the U.S. has lost its measles-free status. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said parents should get their children vaccinated, noting the MMR vaccine stops measles in about 97% of cases.
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Vaccine and healthcare names are in focus as outbreaks expand. MRK, the maker of the MMR vaccine used in the United States, sits at the center of any vaccination push tied to the surge. Broader healthcare spending is also in play: measles hospitalizations and emergency care carry real costs for insurers and hospital systems, a dynamic that can move names like UNH and CI on claims headlines.
Options flow around healthcare names tends to pick up when a story has a long tail, and this one does: five months of the year remain and the November elimination-status decision is a known catalyst. Watch for defensive positioning in XLV as traders hedge the broader sector impact.
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