Measles resurges with 171 confirmed cases across nine states

At least 171 measles cases have been confirmed in nine U.S. states so far this year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in an updated surveillance bulletin issued Jan. 14, 2026. The tally marks an early extension of the epidemic that surged across the country in 2025 and signals continuing transmission concentrated among children and adolescents.

The confirmed cases span Arizona, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Utah and Virginia. South Carolina remains a focal point, with most of that state’s illnesses concentrated in Spartanburg County, where an outbreak that began in early October 2025 has persisted into the new year. State health departments in Georgia, Oregon and Virginia each reported their first measles cases of 2026 in the days leading up to the CDC update.

CDC data show that the majority of cases in 2026 have occurred in people under the age of 19. Vaccination status reported by the agency indicates that roughly 95 percent of nationally confirmed cases involved individuals who were unvaccinated or whose vaccination status was unknown. An additional 2 percent of cases occurred in people with a single documented dose of the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine, and 2 percent occurred in those who reportedly completed the recommended two-dose MMR schedule. Approximately 1 percent of cases required hospitalization, according to the CDC figures.

Public-health officials cited the agency’s update to stress the highly contagious nature of measles and urged eligible people to receive MMR vaccination. The call reflects concern that immunity gaps created over recent years have allowed measles to regain footholds in several communities.

The 2026 case count follows a dramatic rise in measles activity in 2025, when the United States recorded 2,242 cases — the highest annual total since 1992. Last year’s outbreaks were widespread: nearly 50 distinct outbreaks were documented nationwide, compared with 16 in 2024 and four in 2023. The 2025 resurgence also included at least three deaths reported by state health departments: two unvaccinated school-aged children in Texas and an unvaccinated adult in New Mexico, the first U.S. measles fatalities in a decade.

Epidemiologists say the recent pattern underscores how quickly measles can return once population immunity slips. The virus spreads through respiratory droplets and can infect more than 90 percent of susceptible close contacts. Children under 19 have borne the bulk of recent illnesses, a pattern that amplifies risks for school-based transmission and places stress on pediatric services in affected counties.

State and local officials are continuing case investigations, contact tracing and targeted vaccination efforts aimed at closing immunity gaps. Public-health authorities emphasize that vaccination remains the primary defense against measles and that timely MMR doses reduce the likelihood of large outbreaks.

The CDC surveillance update provides a snapshot early in the year and officials cautioned that numbers could change as more cases are confirmed and investigations conclude. Health departments across the affected states are monitoring exposures, updating guidance for schools and health-care providers, and urging families to check vaccination records and seek MMR vaccination where needed to blunt further spread.