Measles surge dramatically in California among children and young adults
Measles cases in California have more than doubled compared to last year, with 52 confirmed cases reported in the first half of 2026. The majority of these cases involve unvaccinated individuals, prompting health officials to warn of a potential national surge not seen since the early 1990s.
Why it matters
The resurgence of a preventable disease highlights critical gaps in public health vaccination compliance and the ongoing risk of outbreaks in highly mobile populations.
Measles cases have doubled in California so far this year compared to last year — and 2026 is barely half over. California has confirmed 52 measles cases in the first 6½ months of the year; that's more than double the 25 cases reported in all of 2025. If this pace continues, the number of cases will be the highest since 2015, when there were 125 cases in the state and a portion of them were related to a large outbreak at Disneyland. Of this year's 52 cases, 49 patients were either unvaccinated or had an unknown vaccination record. Four have had to be hospitalized. Many cases involve children or young adults — 27 cases involved those ages 5 to 19, and 15 cases involved children under 5 years old, according to the California Department of Public Health. L.A.
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