Confirmed cases of measles in the US is highest since 1991

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — The U.S. has officially surpassed its own measles record from last year. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released data confirming 2,318 measles infections across 43 states.

In 2025, there was a total of 2,289 cases for the entire year with three total deaths. There are zero confirmed deaths for 2026.

According to CDC data, Nebraska has one of the lowest number of confirmed cases with there being only one confirmed case. South Carolina has the highest number of confirmed cases with 670 cases.

There have been 35 new outbreaks in 2026 with 93% of confirmed cases being outbreak-associated.

According to the CDC, the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine was a significant factor in helping the U.S. declare eliminated from measles in 2000. Now, MMR vaccine coverage among kindergarteners has decreased below the 95% coverage target.

The current confirmed cases of measles is the highest number since 1991, according to CDC data. In 1991, confirmed cases reached nearly 10,000.