U.S. surpasses annual measles milestone in first 2 months of 2026
There were more than 1,100 confirmed measles cases in the U.S. in 2026, already six times more than what is typically expected for an entire year.
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The United States is on track for another record-breaking year for measles.
There were more than 1,100 confirmed measles cases in the U.S. in just the first two months of 2026.
That number is already six times more than what is typically expected for an entire year, according to data published Friday by the CDC.
Cases have been reported in 27 states so far, including New York.
Most patients range in age from 5 to 19 years old and 92% of them were either unvaccinated or their vaccination status is unknown.
The CDC warns one out of every 1,000 kids who are infected may develop encephalitis, and up to three out of 1,000 will die.
"At first it can look like a cold, you can get a fever and a cough, red eyes, runny nose, but as you get more sick, 1 in 4 individuals, children who get measles will end up hospitalized," doctors say.
Getting both doses of the measles vaccine significantly lowers the risk of getting infected, according to health officials.
If you do get sick, they say the illness likely won’t be as severe.
