US measles cases hit 35‑year high in 2026 as Health Secretary Kennedy Jr urges vaccination

The United States has recorded 2,370 measles infections in the first eight months of 2026, the highest annual total in 35 years. The CDC reported that the outbreak spans 45 jurisdictions and includes 37 new clusters, with 93% of patients unvaccinated. The previous year saw 2,289 cases, and the last comparable surge occurred in 1991.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appeared on CNN to urge parents to vaccinate their children, stating that “the measles vaccine is effective, it blocks the disease in about 97% of cases.” He emphasized that the agency’s websites continue to recommend vaccination and denied personal responsibility for the rise in cases. Public‑health experts link the surge to pockets of low vaccine coverage driven largely by misinformation.

The outbreak marks a reversal for a disease declared eradicated in the United States in 2000, prompting renewed calls for higher immunisation rates.