U.S. tops 1,100 measles cases in two months; more deaths likely

Lead

Federal data show the United States has recorded more than 1,100 measles cases so far this year, a rapid surge public-health officials say could lead to additional fatalities. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 1,136 cases as of February 26, 2026, a tally experts call far above normal for this point in the year. Large outbreaks are driving the increase, notably a South Carolina outbreak that began in October and a fast-growing cluster in Collier County, Florida. With the majority of cases among unvaccinated people and children, officials warn hospitalizations and deaths remain a real risk.

Key takeaways

• CDC reported 1,136 measles cases in the first eight weeks of 2026 (data through Feb 26), a level health officials say is many times higher than typical for an entire year.
• Approximately 96% of U.S. cases this year have been in people who were unvaccinated or had not received both MMR doses.
• More than 80% of reported cases are among children and teens, with roughly 25% in children under age 5.
• Last year the U.S. had nearly 2,300 cases—the highest single-year total since 1991—and three measles deaths (two children in Texas, one adult in New Mexico), all unvaccinated.
• South Carolina’s upstate outbreak has produced at least 979 cases since October, concentrated in Spartanburg County where vaccination rates are low.
• Public-health responses include mass vaccination drives (nearly 17,000 MMR shots delivered in South Carolina in January), masking policies in some hospitals, and CDC assistance for contact tracing.
• Experts estimate encephalitis occurs in about 1 per 1,000 infected children and death occurs in up to 3 per 1,000, making further fatalities statistically likely as cases rise.

Background

Measles was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000, meaning endemic transmission had been interrupted. That status depends on high vaccination coverage and rapid response to imported or local outbreaks. Over the past several years, pockets of undervaccination—driven by access issues, complacency, and vaccine hesitancy—have periodically allowed measles to regain a foothold.

In 2025 the U.S. recorded nearly 2,300 cases, the most since 1991, and that surge has continued into 2026. Public-health authorities track cases through state reporting systems to the CDC; academic trackers have also compiled independent tallies that in some instances show higher totals. Measles spreads quickly in communities with low MMR coverage because the virus is highly contagious and immunity gaps let clusters amplify.

Main event

The CDC’s provisional data for Feb. 26, 2026, show 1,136 cases in the first eight weeks of the year, a figure public-health officials call alarming given typical annual counts. Multiple states have reported cases, and three sizable outbreaks are fueling the national picture: an upstate South Carolina cluster, a longstanding outbreak straddling Utah and Arizona, and a rapid outbreak in Collier County, Florida, linked to a private university community.

South Carolina’s Department of Public Health reports at least 979 cases tied to an outbreak that began in October and centers on Spartanburg County, where local vaccination rates are low. State officials say more than 93% of those cases are in people who did not receive the MMR vaccine. The state has reported severe complications, including pneumonia and encephalitis, and several pregnant women have received immunoglobulin after exposure to reduce risks.

Florida’s cluster near Ave Maria University has produced at least 83 cases in Collier County over the past month, with early indications that many infections involved students. The university has deferred to the state health department for official counts; state data have not published detailed age or vaccination-status breakdowns for that cluster. Other states, including North Carolina and Washington, have reported cases with links to the South Carolina outbreak.

Health systems have begun operational changes: Prisma Health imposed masking requirements in emergency departments and labor-and-delivery units to limit transmission in high-risk clinical areas. State and local health departments have increased vaccination clinics and deployed staff for contact tracing, with supplemental epidemiologists provided through federal or philanthropic partners to boost investigation capacity.

Analysis & implications

The current trajectory raises three core concerns. First, the pace and geographic spread make additional severe outcomes—hospitalizations, encephalitis, and deaths—statistically probable because measles complications occur at established rates (approximately 1 case of encephalitis and up to 3 deaths per 1,000 infections among children). When case counts multiply into the thousands, those percentages translate into measurable increases in harm.

Second, the outbreak pattern highlights how pockets of undervaccination can sustain transmission nationally. Even when most of the population remains protected, localized clusters of low coverage present chains of susceptibility; travel and social networks then allow cases to seed distant areas. The South Carolina outbreak’s spillovers to multiple states illustrate that mechanism.

Third, response capacity and timeliness matter. Rapid case identification, contact tracing and mass vaccination campaigns can blunt spread, as suggested by recent declines in weekly cases in South Carolina. But those tools require sustained workforce, laboratory, and logistical resources; jurisdictions stretched thin by concurrent public-health demands risk slower containment and more protracted outbreaks.

Looking ahead, public-health officials face a narrow window to raise immunity in affected communities before more severe outcomes accrue. Messaging that centers on safety and effectiveness of MMR, paired with accessible vaccination clinics and outreach to hesitant groups, will determine whether transmission curtails or continues to expand into wider, more vulnerable populations.

Comparison & data

The table condenses the most salient figures reported by state and federal sources. The 1,136-case figure covers the first eight weeks of 2026 and is already several times higher than normal annual totals for the same period in prior years. South Carolina’s nearly 979-case outbreak accounts for the bulk of recent cases; public-health officials credit intensive vaccination activity for recent week-to-week declines but caution that pockets of susceptibility remain.

Reactions & quotes

Several infectious-disease experts and officials expressed alarm and urged vaccination. Vanderbilt’s Dr. William Schaffner characterized the trajectory in stark terms and stressed that a safe, effective vaccine exists to prevent these outcomes. He urged parents to consult their own physicians about vaccination.

“Measles is a fierce infection, and we should be preventing it.”

Dr. William Schaffner, Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Dr. Paul Offit of the Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia underscored the predictable nature of vaccine-preventable deaths given current case counts and called the situation unconscionable when preventable deaths occur. His comments framed the surge as a consequence of declining uptake in some communities.

“Can we expect another death? Yes, I think we’re getting there where we can expect another death.”

Dr. Paul Offit, Vaccine Education Center, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

South Carolina State Epidemiologist Dr. Linda Bell described the state’s response measures—expanded vaccination, case investigation and quarantine guidance—and said those actions likely contributed to recent reductions in weekly case reports. She emphasized the work is not finished while undervaccinated pockets persist.

“Controlling the spread of measles and protecting people from disease has been our primary objective.”

Dr. Linda Bell, South Carolina Department of Public Health

Unconfirmed

• Specific numerical discrepancy between the Johns Hopkins tracker and CDC totals: independent trackers report higher annualized totals, but exact reconciliations of case definitions and reporting dates remain to be confirmed.
• Detailed vaccination-status breakdowns for the Collier County (Ave Maria) cluster have not been published; early reports indicate many student cases, but full demographics are pending.
• Precise importation sources for some local outbreaks (travel-related versus local transmission) are still under investigation in multiple jurisdictions.

Bottom line

The U.S. surge in measles cases—1,136 by Feb. 26, 2026—represents a significant public-health setback driven largely by underimmunized communities. Given established complication and mortality rates, more severe outcomes and additional deaths are statistically likely unless transmission is rapidly curtailed.

Immediate priorities are raising MMR coverage in affected pockets, sustaining case identification and contact tracing, and clear clinician-to-parent communication about vaccine safety and benefits. How quickly jurisdictions scale these measures will determine whether the current wave becomes a contained episode or a longer, more damaging resurgence.

Sources

• CNN (news report)
• U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (official case data and guidance)
• South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (state health department)
• Prisma Health (health system press release)
• Johns Hopkins Center for Outbreak Response and Innovation (academic/trackers)