Since 2026 began, the United States has already recorded its worst measles outbreak in 35 years, according to official figures released today, a serious uptick in cases as vaccine hesitancy grows.
In just seven months, 2318 confirmed cases of the highly contagious illness have been recorded, according to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
That surpasses the total for 2025, a year that had already shattered records, posting 2289 cases and three deaths, including two young children.
“We are witnessing an avoidable crisis that disproportionately hurts children,” Andrew Racine, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, said.
Measles causes fever, respiratory symptoms and skin rashes.
In some cases, it can also lead to more severe complications including pneumonia and brain inflammation, which can lead to serious long-term impacts and death.
In 2000, measles was declared eradicated in the United States, thanks to vaccination.
However, it has made a strong comeback in recent years against a backdrop of declining vaccination rates and growing distrust in health authorities.
US President Donald Trump’s health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy jnr, is accused of contributing significantly to the crisis by spreading anti-vaccine sentiment and fuelling fears towards well-studied and proven immunisations.
The last time the United States experienced such a high number of measles cases was in 1991, when 9643 cases were recorded.
Cases began falling dramatically after a two-dose vaccine regimen became the norm.
Prior to the development of a measles vaccine in the early 1960s, measles killed hundreds of children annually in the US.
It continues to claim tens of thousands of lives worldwide.
– AFP