US measles cases hit 33-year high, cross 2,300 mark in 2026

US measles cases in 2026 have already outpaced last year's total and have reached a level not seen in more than three decades.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported a total of 2,318 confirmed infections on Friday, passing last year's total of 2,289 cases and hitting the highest level since 1991.

Forty-three states and Washington, DC, have recorded at least one infection this year.


Also read: Measles outbreak in USA: Top U.S. health expert sends chilling warning. All you need to know

Vaccine policy under the Trump administration has been upended since critic Robert F. Kennedy Jr became secretary of Health and Human Services.

During Kennedy's tenure, thousands of career scientists at the CDC have been fired and funding for local health departments has been frozen, said Rich Besser, the former acting director of the CDC.