CDC reports more than 5,000 measles cases, highest number in 35 years
The CDC reports over 5,000 confirmed measles cases in the U.S. for 2026, marking the highest level in 35 years. The data highlights a significant decline in childhood vaccination rates and includes a political dispute over death classification.
Why it matters
Public health crisis regarding vaccine-preventable diseases and the politicization of health data reporting.
Children and teenagers make up almost 60 percent of confirmed cases.
x whatsapp-stroke copylink google Add Al Jazeera on Google info A sign outside of a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) office in Atlanta, Georgia [File: Megan Varner/Reuters] By Al Jazeera Staff Published On 7 Nov 2026 7 Nov 2026 A total of 5,182 confirmed measles cases have been reported in the United States to date in 2026, according to data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The figure for the highly contagious but vaccine-preventable disease is the highest number reported by the CDC since 1991.
Children below the age of five make up 18 percent of cases, while children between ages five and 19 account for 41 percent of cases.
In total, children and teenagers account for about 59 percent of confirmed cases.
The majority of cases, a total of 4,993, were outbreak-associated.
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