US reports highest number of measles cases in 35 years

The United States has reported its highest number of measles cases in 35 years, with over 5,000 confirmed instances this year, according to an official tally released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This marks a stark increase from 2,289 cases reported throughout all of 2025, making 2026 the worst year since 1991 in terms of measles cases.

State health authorities have documented at least eight measles-related fatalities, including children who succumbed to the highly contagious but preventable disease. Dr. Adam Ratner, a pediatrician specializing in infectious diseases, emphasized the tragic nature of these deaths, stating they are entirely preventable through vaccination.

Measles was officially declared eradicated from the United States in 2000, thanks to widespread vaccination efforts. However, the disease has seen a resurgence in recent years, attributed to declining vaccination rates and increasing skepticism towards public health authorities. This resurgence has been further exacerbated by figures like Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who harbors vaccine doubts and has spread misinformation about the measles vaccine and downplayed the severity of the disease.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. denies that measles poses a significant threat and dismisses the tragic deaths caused by the illness. Ratner highlighted that the consequences of infectious diseases like measles are often borne by children, who are not the decision-makers. Measles leads to symptoms such as fever, respiratory issues, and a distinctive rash, and in some instances, severe complications including pneumonia and brain inflammation, which can result in lasting health problems or death.

Prior to the development of the measles vaccine in the early 1960s, the disease claimed hundreds of lives annually in the US, and continues to cause tens of thousands of deaths worldwide each year.