Health alert: United States records record numbers of measles in 2026
The United States is facing an unprecedented health crisis in recent decades. According to the most recent data, the country has recorded 2,566 cases of measles and 38 active outbreaks so far in 2026. This figure marks a worrying milestone, becoming the highest record of infections since 1991, even surpassing the total numbers reported during last year.
Impact on the child and youth population
The official report highlights that 93% of the affected people did not have any dose of the vaccine against this disease. The most vulnerable population has been the youth, as two out of every three infections (67%) correspond to children and young people in the 0 to 19 age range. Despite the substantial increase in the number of infected individuals, health authorities have confirmed that, so far, no deaths have been reported in 2026, unlike the three deaths recorded in 2025.
Geographic distribution and drop in vaccination
The spread of the virus has reached 47 states and territories. Among the most affected areas are:
- South Carolina: 670 cases
- Utah: 526 cases
- Pennsylvania: 280 cases
- Texas: 190 cases
- Virginia: 176 cases
- Florida: 141 cases
- Arizona: 109 cases
This situation is directly attributed to the decrease in childhood immunization rates. Vaccination coverage in preschool-level children fell from 95.2% in the 2019-2020 cycle to 92.5% in 2024-2025, leaving about 286,000 students at risk from the virus.
Herd immunity requires more than 95% of people in a community to be vaccinated to prevent massive outbreaks, a standard that is currently met by only ten states across the nation.
New government policies
The healthcare context is developing in parallel with changes in federal health policy. Recently, President Donald Trump signed an executive order adjusting childhood vaccination recommendations, reducing from 18 to 11 the number of diseases for which mandatory immunization is suggested. This measure, promoted alongside Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy Jr., seeks to revise the official schedule and shifts the decision regarding vaccines such as the flu, COVID-19, and hepatitis to risk-based criteria or direct agreements between parents and doctors.
