US measles outbreak reaches highest case count in 35 years amid growing vaccine hesitancy
The United States is experiencing its worst measles outbreak in 35 years, with 2,318 confirmed cases recorded in just the first seven months of 2026, according to CDC data. This surpasses the record-setting 2025 total of 2,289 cases, which included three deaths, two of them young children. Measles was declared eradicated in the US in 2000 due to widespread vaccination, but declining vaccination rates and growing distrust in health authorities have fueled a resurgence. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been accused of spreading anti-vaccine sentiment. The American Academy of Pediatrics called the outbreak an 'avoidable crisis' that disproportionately harms children. The last time case numbers were this high was in 1991, before a two-dose vaccine regimen became standard.
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