As of March 26, 2026, 1,575 measles cases have been reported in the US since the start of the year across 32 states. This year is already the second-highest annual measles case total in the US since measles was declared eliminated in 2000. Health officials note that 92% of these cases are among people who were not vaccinated against the virus.
Measles is one of the most contagious viruses known to medicine. It can lead to severe complications, including pneumonia, permanent hearing loss, encephalitis, seizures, brain damage, or death. Public health authorities emphasize that two doses of the MMR vaccine are more than 97% effective at preventing measles.
Demographically, more than half of US measles patients are under 18 years old. Currently, 78 measles patients have been hospitalized in the US, with no deaths recorded in 2026, but there were three measles deaths in the US in 2025, all among unvaccinated individuals. For unvaccinated children, the risks are particularly acute: one in every 20 develops pneumonia, nearly one in five is hospitalized, and up to three in 1,000 die from the disease.
In South Carolina, a major outbreak centered in Spartanburg County now stands at 997 cases since October 2025. The state has gone a full week without a new measles infection for the first time since the outbreak began. If no new measles cases emerge in South Carolina by April 26, the outbreak will be declared over. Wastewater testing and emergency department surveillance in South Carolina show no signs of ongoing measles transmission.
State-by-state outbreaks reveal varied hotspots across the US. California's Shasta County confirmed a new measles case in a vaccinated individual under 18, bringing the state’s total to at least 32. The California patient is past their infectious period and considered a breakthrough case. Michigan confirmed a seventh measles case in Washtenaw County, all involving unvaccinated individuals. Utah reported 43 new measles cases in the past week, bringing its total since June 2025 to 486. Exposures in Utah occurred at schools, churches, restaurants, a temple open house, a high school play, a family fun center, grocery stores, and healthcare facilities. Texas has seen 147 measles cases concentrated in detention facilities in Hudspeth and El Paso counties. Florida's measles case count has climbed to over 140, with the majority tied to an outbreak at Collier County’s Catholic Ave Maria University.
Recent exposure events have heightened transmission risks in other regions. Washington state health officials are warning of widespread potential measles exposure after a Spokane County adult in their 30s with measles visited nine public locations over an eight-day period earlier this month. Separately, a person infected with measles traveled through Terminal 5 at Chicago O'Hare International Airport on March 24 between 10:45 am and 2:30 pm. The same Chicago-area patient visited a Fresh Farms store and Marshalls on March 26 between 7:30 and 9:30 pm, and the Endeavor Health Immediate Care Center in Mount Prospect on March 27. The patient was contagious at these times and could have spread measles to others. Measles can remain in the air for up to two hours after an infectious person passes through an area. Patients only need to be exposed to measles for 15 minutes to trigger an infection.
In response, health officials across the US are urging unvaccinated individuals to get the MMR vaccine and advising anyone who may have been exposed to monitor for symptoms for up to 21 days. Cook County Health Department is working to identify and contact all individuals who may have been exposed to measles from the Chicago-area case.
Internationally, Bangladesh is facing a severe outbreak, with the government confirming that measles has killed 15 children after laboratory testing of 33 samples with WHO support. In response, the Bangladeshi government has reduced the measles vaccination age to six months instead of nine and plans to launch a nationwide immunisation drive from Sunday, beginning with high-risk areas.
In the United Kingdom, outbreaks are concentrated in urban areas with low vaccination rates. Birmingham has detected 54 cases of measles, while 89 cases have been confirmed in Enfield, north London, this year. Birmingham has a measles vaccination rate of 73.5% for children under five, and London has 71%, both below the WHO target of 95%. The NHS has put up over 300 billboards in Birmingham to warn of measles, and authorities are urging parents to make sure their children are vaccinated.
Broader data shows 158 laboratory-confirmed measles cases reported in England between 1 January and 23 February 2026, with the majority among children aged 10 and under and London accounting for two-thirds of infections. No measles-related deaths have been reported in England this year. Figures for 2025 show 959 confirmed measles cases in England, mostly among unvaccinated children under the age of 10. In Ireland, the Health Service Executive issued a travel advisory ahead of the Easter holiday period, warning travellers to ensure they are fully vaccinated against measles due to outbreaks in Europe and the UK. MMR uptake among children aged 24 months in Ireland is 87.6%, below the WHO target of 95%.
The implications of low vaccination rates are clear, as seen in Utah where exposures have occurred in diverse community settings, and in Texas where detention facilities have become hotspots.