A Crisis Escalating Week by Week

The United States is experiencing its most severe measles outbreak in more than three decades, with confirmed cases surging past 900 in 2026 alone. According to data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 910 confirmed cases have been reported across 24 states and jurisdictions as of mid-February, with weekly case counts jumping by nearly 25 percent for two consecutive weeks.

The numbers mark a dramatic escalation from what was already a troubling 2025, during which measles outbreaks in west Texas drew national attention. From January 2025 through February 2026, the cumulative total has reached 3,190 confirmed cases nationwide, as reported by CDC.

South Carolina Becomes the New Epicenter

While the west Texas outbreak dominated headlines last year, the current epicenter has shifted to upstate South Carolina, where a single outbreak has now surpassed 930 cases since September 2025. That cluster alone has overtaken the Texas outbreak as the largest in the United States since 1992.

The virus has spread to a wide geographic footprint, with cases confirmed in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Maine, Minnesota, Nebraska, New York City, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin. Five distinct outbreaks are currently circulating across the country.

Declining Vaccination Rates at the Core

Public health officials have pointed to declining childhood vaccination rates as the primary driver behind the surge. Measles is one of the most contagious viruses known to science, capable of lingering in the air for up to two hours after an infected person has left a room. The MMR vaccine remains highly effective, providing approximately 97 percent protection with two doses, but that protection depends on maintaining high vaccination coverage within communities.

In recent years, vaccine exemption rates have climbed in several states, creating pockets of vulnerability where the virus can gain a foothold. Once measles enters an under-vaccinated community, its extraordinary transmissibility means outbreaks can grow rapidly and prove difficult to contain.

Hospitalizations and Health Burden

While no deaths have been reported in 2026, measles is far from a benign illness. The disease can cause serious complications including pneumonia, encephalitis, and permanent hearing loss, particularly in young children and immunocompromised individuals. Hospitalization rates in the current outbreak remain consistent with historical patterns, with roughly one in four cases requiring medical intervention.

The strain on local health systems has been significant, particularly in areas where outbreaks are concentrated. Contact tracing efforts, which require identifying and monitoring everyone who may have been exposed, demand enormous resources from public health departments that are already stretched thin.

The Path Forward

Health authorities are urging parents to ensure their children are up to date on MMR vaccinations, emphasizing that the vaccine has a decades-long safety record backed by extensive scientific evidence. Catch-up vaccination campaigns have been launched in several of the hardest-hit states, and the CDC has mobilized additional resources to support local response efforts.

The outbreak has also reignited debate over vaccine policy at the federal level, with medical organizations recently filing legal challenges against revised federal vaccine guidelines that critics say could further erode public confidence in immunization. As case counts continue to climb, public health officials warn that the window for containing the outbreak is narrowing and that swift action on vaccination is the most effective tool available.