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U.S. Edition Est. 2026 Oct. 9, 2026

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Health

CDC Reports 4,080 Confirmed U.S. Measles Cases in 2026, With Outbreaks Across 47 Jurisdictions

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 4,080 confirmed measles cases in the United States as of October 8, up 193 in a week, with 42 outbreaks in 2026 and cases concentrated among children and teenagers, as kindergarten vaccination coverage remains below the level health officials say is needed for community protection.

By admin Oct. 9, 2026 · 12:50 PM ET 1 min read

Gloved hands holding a vaccine vial and syringe over a metal tray in a bright clinic, with blurred waiting-area chairs in the background

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 4,080 confirmed measles cases in the United States in 2026 as of October 8, an increase of 193 from a week earlier, according to Reuters and data published by the CDC.

The CDC said 4,062 of the cases were reported by 47 jurisdictions, with the remaining cases reported among international visitors to the United States. The agency said there have been 42 outbreaks so far in 2026 and that 96 percent of confirmed cases were associated with an outbreak, including cases linked to outbreaks that began in 2025.

How this year compares with 2025

The 2026 total already far exceeds the 2,289 confirmed cases the CDC recorded for all of 2025, when 48 outbreaks were reported. According to Reuters, measles-related hospitalizations in 2026 stand at 414, about 10 percent of cases, compared with 244 hospitalizations in 2025.

Children and teenagers ages 5 to 19 accounted for the largest share of infections, at 1,716 cases, followed by adults age 20 and older, according to Reuters. The CDC has confirmed two measles-associated deaths in 2026, Reuters reported, while Pennsylvania health officials have separately reported five deaths linked to that state’s outbreak; this site has covered how Pennsylvania measles cases passed 1,000 earlier this month.

Vaccination coverage below the community-protection level

The CDC says measles was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000, but national coverage with the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine among kindergartners has fallen from 95.2 percent in the 2019–2020 school year to 92.4 percent in 2025–2026, leaving approximately 280,000 kindergartners at risk, according to the CDC. The agency says coverage above 95 percent is needed for most people in a community to be protected through community immunity.

Earlier this week, New York declared a statewide disaster emergency over a measles outbreak after reporting 108 cases this year through October 3, according to Reuters.

Reporting based on coverage by Reuters and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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