Health

U.S. measles cases climb to 4,852, CDC says — more than double all of 2025

Washington • October 30, 2026 • By Press Pass USA

Editorial illustration: a nurse holding a folder in a bright pediatric clinic waiting room

Editorial illustration — Press Pass USA

The number of confirmed measles cases in the United States climbed to 4,852 as of October 29, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Friday, an increase of 264 cases from the previous weekly update and more than double the total for all of 2025.

Hospitalizations linked to measles this year stood at 511, about 11% of all reported cases, according to the CDC figures reported by Reuters. People aged 5 to 19 accounted for 2,010 cases, followed by 1,996 cases among adults aged 20 and older and 812 cases in children under 5.

The vast majority of infections were among people who were unvaccinated or whose vaccination status was unknown, accounting for 96% of cases in 2026, up from 93% in 2025, the CDC data showed. The agency counted 4,834 cases reported by 47 jurisdictions, plus 18 cases among international visitors to the United States, according to CDC data summarized by Contagion Live.

Measles has also spread widely through outbreaks: the CDC reported 43 outbreaks in 2026, and 96% of confirmed cases were outbreak-associated, including 3,282 cases from outbreaks that began in 2026 and 1,384 from outbreaks that began in 2025.

For comparison, the CDC reported 2,289 confirmed measles cases for all of 2025 across 45 jurisdictions, with 48 outbreaks — meaning the 2026 total, with two months of the year remaining, is already more than twice last year's figure.

Pennsylvania has reported 1,398 measles cases so far, according to the state health department, and has reported five measles-related deaths in 2026. The CDC itself has confirmed three measles-associated deaths nationally but has not specified where they occurred, a discrepancy Reuters noted in its report.

Health officials note that measles is highly contagious and spreads through the air, and that the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine is about 97% effective at preventing illness after the recommended doses. The CDC says its published figures include only confirmed cases that jurisdictions notified to the agency, so the true total could be higher.

Sources: Reuters, “US measles cases rise to 4,852, CDC says” (Oct 30, 2026); U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention measles data, updated October 30, 2026, as summarized by Contagion Live, “Measles Update: October 30, 2026”; Pennsylvania Department of Health figures as reported by Reuters.