Measles Outbreak 2026: US Hits 1,714 Cases and May Lose Its 26-Year Elimination Status

# Measles Outbreak 2026: US Hits 1,714 Cases and May Lose Its 26-Year Elimination Status

> **Quick answer:** As of April 9, 2026, the United States has confirmed 1,714 measles cases — the most in a single year since 1992. PAHO will review in November 2026 whether the US loses the measles elimination status it has held since 2000. The cause: MMR vaccination coverage has fallen below the 95% herd immunity threshold in more than 75% of states.

The measles outbreak 2026 has pushed the United States closer to a public health milestone it has not crossed in 26 years. America could officially lose its measles elimination status — the designation that declared the country free of continuous domestic transmission — as early as November, when the Pan American Health Organization convenes its Regional Verification Commission to make the call.

## 1,714 Cases, 33 States, and a Number Nobody Wanted to Hit

The CDC confirmed 1,714 measles cases across 33 jurisdictions as of April 9, 2026. Of those, 94% — or 1,609 cases — are outbreak-associated, meaning they trace back to ongoing domestic transmission chains rather than international travel. That ratio is the most damning statistic of all: during the 2001-2011 elimination period, 40% of US measles cases were imported. Today, only 10% are.

South Carolina's Spartanburg County is the epicenter. With 997 confirmed cases, it now holds the single-county record in US measles history since elimination was declared in 2000. The state's outbreak accelerated at a pace that alarmed epidemiologists: Texas's West Texas outbreak grew over seven months; South Carolina surpassed that total in just 16 weeks.