CDC logs 4,588 US measles cases as vaccine oversight shifts

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced on Friday that the United States has recorded 4,588 cases of measles in 2026. This figure is more than double the total for the same period last year. The agency added 178 new confirmed cases to the national count this week.

At least 43 distinct outbreaks are currently active across the country. Pennsylvania holds the highest number of infections, with 1,338 cases reported as of Friday. South Carolina and Utah follow closely, each logging more than 500 cases. Health experts note that official figures likely underestimate the true spread of the virus because early symptoms like fever and cough often do not prompt immediate medical visits.

Measles remains one of the most contagious diseases known to medicine. It sends one in five unvaccinated patients to the hospital, and roughly one to three individuals out of every 1,000 infected people die from complications. The standard vaccine is 97% effective at preventing the illness, though it can cause temporary soreness at the injection site or a low-grade fever.

In Pennsylvania, state authorities have confirmed five deaths linked to the virus and are investigating a sixth. The CDC has reported three national deaths but has not specified the location of the third case. This opacity has drawn criticism from experts who argue the agency lacks transparency in its reporting.

Reuters reported that Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. asked senior CDC officials in September to remove one measles death from the official tally after questioning the cause. This week, the Department of Health and Human Services also proposed changes to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, or VAERS. The new plan will allow doctors to bill for reporting suspected vaccine injuries.

Kennedy has restructured the federal vaccine oversight apparatus since taking office. He dismissed all 17 members of the expert panel that previously evaluated vaccine safety and replaced them with ideologically aligned appointees. A court blocked those appointments in March. During his tenure, he has also made public claims that children receive more than 90 vaccine doses and that the MMR vaccine contains aborted fetal debris, statements that leading physicians have described as misleading.