The United States has recorded its highest number of measles infections in more than three decades, raising concerns among health authorities over declining childhood immunisation and the possible loss of the country’s disease elimination status.
New data released by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that 2,318 confirmed measles cases have been reported in 2026, surpassing the 2,289 infections documented throughout 2025.
Last year’s outbreak claimed the lives of two unvaccinated children.
Health experts attribute the sharp increase largely to growing vaccine scepticism, which has contributed to lower immunisation coverage across several communities in recent years.
A review scheduled for November will determine whether the United States retains its measles elimination status.
A country forfeits that designation when uninterrupted transmission of the same measles strain continues for at least 12 months.
Canada lost its elimination status in 2025 after prolonged outbreaks.
According to the CDC, the total number of measles cases reported in the United States over the past 18 months exceeds the combined national total recorded during the previous 25 years.
Before the introduction of vaccines, measles infected millions of children annually.
The disease is highly contagious and can lead to life-threatening complications, including brain inflammation and immune system damage that reduces the body’s ability to fight future infections.
One of the country’s most serious outbreaks occurred last year within a Mennonite community in Texas, where two unvaccinated children died.
An unvaccinated adult also succumbed to the disease in neighbouring New Mexico.
More recently, Virginia and Pennsylvania have reported fresh clusters of infections, while Utah continues to battle an outbreak that began in 2025.
Overall, measles cases have now been confirmed in 45 states.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has faced criticism from public health specialists, who argue that his comments on vaccines and changes to national immunisation policy have weakened efforts to contain the disease.
Although Kennedy has acknowledged that the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine remains the most reliable protection against measles, he has also promoted treatments that lack scientific backing, drawing concern from medical professionals.
Current US health guidelines recommend that children receive two doses of the MMR vaccine between the ages of one and six, providing about 97 percent protection against infection.
Earlier this year, Kennedy defended the federal government’s handling of the outbreaks, telling lawmakers that many countries had experienced significant increases in measles cases.
A federal court later halted a proposal introduced under his leadership that sought to reduce the number of recommended childhood vaccinations from 17 to 11.
Medical experts maintain that at least 95 percent vaccination coverage is required to achieve herd immunity and prevent widespread transmission.
However, immunisation rates have dropped well below that threshold in some communities.
During a measles outbreak last year involving Russian and Ukrainian immigrant families in Spartanburg, South Carolina, vaccination coverage in certain schools reportedly fell to as low as 20 percent, increasing the risk of further spread.
By: Magdalene Agyeiwaa Sarpong