US measles cases hit 5,182 in 2026, more than double 2025
The CDC counted cases through Nov. 5. The Pan American Health Organization will review this month whether the US and Mexico keep their elimination status.
The United States has recorded 5,182 confirmed measles cases in 2026, CDC data shows, counted through noon on Nov. 5 and updated Nov. 6. That is already more than double the 2,289 cases of all 2025.
Eighteen of the cases are international visitors, and 47 jurisdictions reported the other 5,164. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists 43 new outbreaks this year and ties 4,993 cases, or 96%, to one of them.
Three years of increases
The CDC's own series shows the size of the jump (figures from the CDC):
| Year | Confirmed cases |
|---|---|
| 2019 | 1,274 |
| 2024 | 285 |
| 2025 | 2,289 |
| 2026 (through Nov. 5) | 5,182 |
This is a surveillance count, not a study: it has no sample or design to weigh, only the cases health authorities have confirmed. By it, 2026 is above 2019, the last major recent surge.
What gets decided in November
The US declared measles eliminated in 2000, meaning the virus no longer spread continuously inside the country. That status is now under review. The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said on March 2 that its Regional Verification Commission, an independent technical body, would assess the US and Mexico in November.
A country loses the status when the same strain of the virus circulates without a break for a year or more, the organization says. The period under review starts when the outbreaks began: Jan. 20, 2025, in the US and Feb. 1, 2025, in Mexico.
PAHO has not yet published a result or the exact date of the November meeting.
For readers in Mexico, the story matters for two reasons: the country is part of the same review and has had its own outbreak since 2025, and travel between the two countries is constant. Vaccination recommendations for people in Mexico come from the Health Ministry. None of this replaces a medical consultation.
The figures describe the general US population and are not individual medical guidance.
