CDC reveals measles rates hit 35-year high after recent outbreaks

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week revealed that the measles rates so far this year have already exceeded figures from 2025, marking a 35-year high. The United States logged 2,318 measles cases in the first seven months of this year, up from the total of 2,289 last year, according to the CDC. The announcement makes 2026 the U.S.'s worst year for measles since 1991, with officials crediting the outbreak in part to decreased vaccination rates and saying the numbers could be much higher than official estimates reveal. The development comes as the Pan American Health Organization meets in November to do an international review of the U.S.'s measles elimination status. Washington has held the status since 2000, but could be at risk of losing it due to the recent outbreaks, leading the Trump administration to ask the organization to move its review from April to the fall.