US exceeds measles cases in all of 2025 by July 2026

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) tally of 2026 measles cases has officially surpassed the annual total of last year, with more then 2,300 cases reported from across most of the country. As of July 23, the CDC has confirmed 2,318 new measles cases in 2026, compared with 2,289 total cases detected in 2025. Johns Hopkins University's measles tracker had noted the milestone earlier this week, being updated sooner than the CDC. According to the agency, the majority of the cases from this year have come from 45 U.S. jurisdictions as 35 new outbreaks have been reported. This tally marks the worst year for measles the U.S. has seen in roughly 35 years. Measles cases in the U.S. plummeted in 1990 following the rollout of an aggressive vaccination campaign and the introduction of the two-dose measles vaccine schedule. The U.S. eliminated the disease in 2000, but that distinction is in question. A meeting with the Pan American Health Organization will take place in November to review the U.S.'s and Mexico's respective elimination statuses. Canada lost its elimination status last year. "As measles cases continue to surge across the U.S., now is the time to make sure you and your family are protected. Getting vaccinated remains our strongest defense against this disease that is both highly contagious and entirely preventable," Dr. Toluwalase A. Ajayi, board chair of the American Medical Association, said in a statement Friday. The Democratic National Committee (DNC) blasted the Trump administration for the continued measles transmission. "As communities across the country face outbreaks of preventable diseases, RFK Jr. and [President] Trump continue to sow doubt and dysfunction into the public health system and gut critical agencies, putting families and communities in harm's way," DNC spokesperson Jaelin O'Halloran said in a statement.