Confirmed measles cases in the United States reached 5,182 according to data released on November 6 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, marking the highest number reported by the federal agency since 1991.
Vaccination Rates Decline as Measles Surges
Children and teenagers account for about 59 percent of the confirmed infections. Out of all infections, 18 percent are made up of kids under five years old, whereas 41 percent are represented by youths aged five through 19. The total represents more than double the 2,289 cases recorded throughout 2025. Federal health data shows the outbreak has been marked by 13 straight weeks of triple-digit increases reported by the CDC.
The United States has recorded more than 5,000 cases of measles this year, the highest number in 35 years, according to an official count released Friday.
Unvaccinated individuals, or those with unknown vaccination status, account for 96 percent of the current cases, and 11 percent of all patients have required hospitalization. From the 2019-2020 school year to the 2025-2026 school year, immunization rates among kindergarteners across the United States fell from 95.2 percent down to 92.4 percent.
Discrepancies Emerge in National and State Death Tolls
Pennsylvania’s Department of Health reported six deaths and 1,487 cases this year, leading the nation as the primary hotspot for transmission. While the CDC national tally lists four deaths, state health departments have reported at least eight measles-related fatalities. The discrepancy stems from differing classification procedures. State officials record measles-associated deaths when a person with confirmed measles dies within 30 days of developing symptoms, provided the death did not result from an unrelated event.
In August, Pennsylvania reported that two unvaccinated people died of measles. The federal count became the center of a dispute between Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over how fatalities are categorized. The CDC initially included the deaths before removing them after Kennedy questioned whether the disease caused or contributed to the fatalities. The CDC stated it is working with the U.S. Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists to establish a standardized definition for measles deaths.
Medical Experts Warn of Preventable Complications
Pediatric infectious disease specialist Adam Ratner told AFP that the fatalities were tragic, and that is completely preventable.
Ratner criticized federal leadership, stating that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. does not believe that measles is a big problem and does not want to believe that there are deaths from measles,
and added that The burden of these diseases will fall on children, who are not the ones who are making these decisions.
US Records Highest Number of Measles Cases in 35 Yearshttps://t.co/TcrvpHarb1 pic.twitter.com/5hnY0MsN8M
Prior to the arrival of the vaccine in 1963, approximately 400 to 500 Americans lost their lives to the illness annually.
Regional Hotspots and Elimination Status Threatened
Todd County is the epicenter of Minnesota’s measles activity, where 115 cases have been reported in this rural county of 26,060 people situated in the center of the state. Beyond Pennsylvania, other states are experiencing intense transmission. Wisconsin reported cases, with nearly 85 percent originating from an outbreak in the southwest corner. Case counts are also accelerating in neighboring Minnesota, which has reached triple digits with 139 reported cases—59 more than the previous week. Ohio reported higher case counts than the CDC, and Kentucky added 204 cases.
Nationally, the United States is expected to lose its measles elimination status, a distinction held since 2000, after a commission of the Pan American Health Organization meets in Washington, D.C.
Earlier coverage: Child Dies From Measles in New York's First Fatality in 30 Years