In 2026, eight deaths from measles and more than 5,000 infections have been recorded in the United States, the vast majority in people who were not vaccinated—figures that break the downward trend of previous years, according to the most recent data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the United States (CDC).
In total, 5,182 cases have been confirmed in 45 states and in Washington D.C., along with eight deaths, six of which have occurred in Pennsylvania, one in New York, and another in Wisconsin. This is the first time since 2019 that deaths from measles have been reported in the country. The two previous deaths date back to 2012, and five deaths per year had not been exceeded since 1992.
According to the latest report, three of the deaths have been added to the statistics in the last week, and 96% of diagnoses correspond to people who were not vaccinated or whose vaccination status was unknown. 2% had only received one of the two scheduled doses of the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine, and the remaining 2% did have the full schedule.
Incidence is especially high among the 5 to 19-year-old population. 11% of those affected have needed hospitalization, including one in every ten children under 5 years of age.
The CDC advises administering a first dose between 12 and 15 months of age and a second between 4 and 6 years, before the start of the school stage. A single dose provides 93% protection, and the two doses raise effectiveness to 97% against measles.
Nevertheless, vaccination coverage has declined in recent years. In the 2025-26 school year, 92.4% of children in early childhood schools were immunized, almost three points below the level reached in the 2019-20 school year.