LOS ANGELES, July 24 (Xinhua) -- The United States had reported 2,318 confirmed measles cases in 2026 as of Thursday, the highest annual total in 35 years, according to the latest data released Friday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Of the total, 2,302 cases were reported across 45 U.S. jurisdictions, while another 16 cases were identified among international visitors to the country, the CDC said.
The latest tally has surpassed the 2,289 cases reported for all of 2025.
According to the CDC, nearly 93 percent of confirmed cases this year have involved people who were unvaccinated.
A total of 151 patients have been hospitalized, and no deaths have been reported so far.
Measles was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000, largely due to widespread use of the safe and effective measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine. However, national MMR vaccination coverage among U.S. kindergartners has declined in recent years and now falls below the 95 percent coverage target, with significantly lower coverage in some communities, the CDC said.
The agency has warned that rising global measles activity increases the likelihood that unvaccinated travelers infected abroad could bring the virus back into the United States.
Although measles is not a seasonal disease, the CDC has noted that transmission often increases during periods of heavy travel, such as spring break, summer vacations and holidays, or in settings where unvaccinated people gather in close contact, including summer camps.
