5 Things to Know About the Emerging Measles Outbreaks in the US

The past couple of years have seen an uptick in the number of measles cases reported throughout the country. Despite the US declaring the measles eliminated as far back as 2000,¹ the 2280 cases reported in 2025 have made the declaration precarious, with the possibility that the US could lose its elimination status should trends continue. In 2026, major outbreaks in South Carolina and Florida have raised concerns about the status of measles in the US. Here are 5 things to know about measles as it surges through the country.

Measles Cases in 2025 Totaled Most Since 1991

The US reported a total of 2280 cases of measles throughout the year, up from the 285 reported in 2024 and above the previous high of 1274 reported in 2019.¹ The cases primarily came from Texas, which reported 880 cases; South Carolina, which reported 330 cases; Arizona, which reported 220 cases; and Utah, which reported 187 cases of measles throughout the year. Although most states reported cases of measles outside of these states, including New Mexico reporting 100 cases, all but 1 state reported fewer than 40 cases, demonstrating a significant discrepancy in overall health for each state.

Vaccination Rates Linked to Measles Outbreaks

Experts have linked these recent outbreaks to a significant trend of parents refusing vaccinations for their children. A study found that overall uptake of the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine was only 64.0% for 1 dose, which represented about 71.1% of eligible children.² The researchers found that the Northeast and Upper Midwest had clusters of high coverage, whereas low coverage was found in parts of Mississippi, west Texas, northern Arizona, southern New Mexico, and other parts of the rural Southeast. These areas of low vaccination rates became some of the epicenters of the measles outbreaks in 2025.

2026 Outbreaks Center on South Carolina, Utah

The start of 2026 has already seen 910 cases of measles reported.¹ The outbreak has primarily affected South Carolina, which has reported 616 cases through February 12. Utah has reported the second-most cases, with 96 reported through February 12, and Florida has reported 63 cases. The South Carolina outbreak is a continuation of their 2025 outbreak, as cases were first reported in September and continued through the holiday months.

The US Could Lose Elimination Status of Measles

With the continuous reporting of measles cases throughout the country, it is possible that the US could lose its status of having eliminated measles from general circulation.³ Eradication of the disease is usually defined as a reduction to zero of the incidence of a disease in a defined geographical area as a result of deliberate efforts and with continued measures to prevent a reestablishment of transmission.⁴ The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) will make the call about the loss of elimination status by reviewing evidence about whether this is a continuous chain of transmission.⁵ If it’s not determined to be the same outbreak, the US may still lose its status if it is determined that the country is not doing enough to interrupt transmission. PAHO will be considering the elimination status of measles in the US in the coming months.

Measles Outbreaks Also Plague Nations Worldwide

Not only is the US struggling with rising measles cases, but other nations are looking at marked increases as well. Recently, parents in north London had been told that their child could be excluded from school if they had not been vaccinated, as 60 cases were confirmed in children.⁶ The United Kingdom lost its elimination status in 2024. Canada has also recently seen a surge in cases of measles and lost its elimination status in 2025, as determined by PAHO.⁷ Countries losing their status across the world shows a global trend toward reduced vaccination, which could lead to more outbreaks in the future, especially between bordering countries.

References

1. Yao M, Murphy J. Measles tracker: follow cases, outbreaks and vaccination rates across the U.S. NBC News. Updated February 13, 2026. Accessed February 17, 2026. https://www.nbcnews.com/data-graphics/track-measles-outbreak-cases-us-map-rcna198932
2. Van Beusekom M. New US map of MMR vaccine uptake reveals considerable gaps, potential for more measles. CIDRAP. January 16, 2026. Accessed February 17, 2026. https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/measles/new-us-map-mmr-vaccine-uptake-reveals-considerable-gaps-potential-more-measles
3. Edwards E. South Carolina measles outbreak reaches 789 cases, surpassing Texas. NBC News. Updated January 28, 2026. Accessed February 17, 2026. https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/south-carolina-measles-outbreak-surpasses-texas-vaccines-rcna256030
4. Dowdle WR. The principles of disease elimination and eradication. Bull World Health Organ. 1999;76(suppl 2):22-25.
5. The U.S. will likely lose its measles elimination status. Here’s what that means. NPR. January 31, 2026. Accessed February 17, 2026. https://www.npr.org/2026/01/31/nx-s1-5694681/measles-elimination-status-south-carolina-texas-outbreak
6. Davies M, Triggle N. Measles outbreak could see unvaccinated pupils excluded from schools in north London. BBC. February 16, 2026. Accessed February 17, 2026. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c99jyexve1jo
7. Statement from the Public Health Agency of Canada on Canada’s measles elimination status. News release. Government of Canada. November 10, 2025. Accessed February 17, 2026. https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/news/2025/11/statement-from-the-public-health-agency-of-canada-on-canadas-measles-elimination-status.html