Measles

• Two peer-reviewed reports published this week analyzed measles outbreaks in Texas and South Carolina to determine the primary barriers to disease control. • The findings reveal that a lack of community trust, rather than simply low vaccination rates, serves as the central obstacle to stopping the outbreaks. • This shift in understanding suggests that public health strategies must address social trust and communication to effectively increase vaccine uptake.

• Virginia has expanded a measles outbreak from Buckingham County to include Cumberland County as of June 25. • Statewide confirmed cases have now reached 129 in 2026, prompting the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) to issue guidance for residents and visitors. • This expansion indicates a growing public health threat, necessitating increased vigilance and adherence to vaccination and safety protocols.

• Public health experts warn that the U.S. has effectively lost its measles elimination status, as only 6% of 2026 cases are now linked to travel compared to a historical average of 40%. • In other health news, the FDA approved bulevirtide on May 22, 2026, marking the first-ever approved treatment for Hepatitis Delta. • On June 17, the federal government announced $223.1 million in new funding for CCBHC community mental health clinics to improve care access and reduce emergency room visits.

• The CDC is ending its federal measles diagnostic testing program, shifting the responsibility for these tests to state laboratories. • While state labs already handle the majority of measles testing, critics are alarmed that the loss of federal oversight could impact surveillance and response times. • This policy shift reflects a transition toward decentralized public health monitoring, though concerns remain regarding the consistency of testing capabilities across different states.

• Opinion writers for KFF Health News address critical public health concerns, including the loss of the United States' measles-eliminated status and the safety of sunscreen. • One contributor argues that the U.S. can no longer claim to have eliminated measles due to recent outbreaks and declining vaccination rates. • The collection also features a political perspective questioning the security of the pharmaceutical supply chain and the influence of Chinese Communist Party-controlled companies on prescription refills.

• A CIDRAP op-ed argues that the United States has officially lost its status as a measles-eliminated country, asserting that current outbreaks represent continuous internal spread rather than isolated reintroductions. • The author criticizes the use of cautious phrasing by health officials, noting that the evidence from the virus itself confirms a failure to maintain elimination. • This shift is critical because it signals a breakdown in public health defenses, highlighted by a staggering 26% case-fatality rate in a recent outbreak.

• Two new reports, including one from the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, analyze the difficulties in containing recent measles outbreaks within the U.S. • The studies focus on a major outbreak that began on October 2, 2025, in Spartanburg County, South Carolina, marking the largest U.S. outbreak since the disease was declared eliminated in 2000. • Researchers identified complex social and cultural barriers that hinder essential public health efforts, specifically vaccination, testing, and education.

• As of June 18, 2026, a measles outbreak in the U.S. has reached 2,104 confirmed cases across 41 different jurisdictions. • The CDC has issued a warning that increased summer travel may accelerate the spread of the virus, posing a significant risk to families. • This surge highlights a critical public health challenge as officials urge vaccination and awareness to contain the outbreak.

• Declining vaccination rates have led to a resurgence of measles, prompting biotech companies and researchers to seek pharmaceutical treatments for the disease. • Dr. Plemper of Georgia State University is working on a drug that could potentially be used off-label to treat measles patients if approved. • Experts, including Dr. Mina, emphasize that while new treatments are necessary to prevent deaths, widespread vaccination remains the only effective way to stop the outbreaks.

London, the east of England and the West Midlands have highest number of cases, as UKHSA urges families to get children vaccinatedTwo children in England have died from measles, health officials say, as data shows more than 100 new reported cases in the last fortnight.The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said on Thursday that two children had died this year, one from “acute measles” and the other from the “late effects of measles”. Continue reading...

Outbreak driven by falling vaccination and misinformation as federal public health cuts hamper state responseThe US has recorded more than 2,000 confirmed measles cases so far this year – near the total of 2,228 recorded in all of 2025, and on track to become the worst year for measles in decades as states struggle with the loss of federal funding for public health.The virus continues to spread in unvaccinated and under-vaccinated communities, including among babies too young to be vaccinated, and it reveals the depths of the twin crises of misinformation and public health in the US. Continue reading...

• The CDC confirmed 51 additional measles cases, bringing the nationwide U.S. outbreak to 1,893 infections as of May 16, 2026. • The agency said all but nine cases were locally acquired, 27 outbreaks have been reported this year, and 92% of patients were unvaccinated or had unknown vaccination status. • The outbreak is significant because measles spreads quickly in under-vaccinated communities, and the U.S. is now on pace to exceed last year’s 2,288 cases if transmission continues.

• A growing measles outbreak in South Carolina, reported in recent days, has seen case numbers rise amid low vaccination rates in certain communities. • Public health officials note multiple exposures and urge unvaccinated individuals to seek MMR shots immediately. • The outbreak underscores U.S. vulnerabilities with national MMR coverage at 92.7%, below herd immunity thresholds, risking wider spread.

• Maricopa County Department of Public Health confirmed one new measles case in a county resident, adding to the total number of confirmed cases. • Public health officials have identified specific public exposures linked to this new case. • This development underscores ongoing measles transmission risks in the region amid national outbreak concerns.

• As of April 30, 2026, the US reported 1,814 confirmed measles cases, including 12 among international visitors, per CDC data updated May 1. • 93% of cases (1,688) are outbreak-associated, with 25 new outbreaks in 2026 following 24 earlier ones. • This surge underscores ongoing vaccination gaps, contributing to public health challenges amid 2,288 cases in 2025.

• South Carolina health officials ended the nation's largest measles outbreak after six months, with 997 infections and 21 hospitalizations but no deaths. • The outbreak concluded Sunday following over a month without new cases. • This marks a significant public health milestone amid rising national vaccination concerns.

• The largest measles outbreak in the United States in more than 35 years has ended, with no new cases reported in more than 42 days, according to the South Carolina Department of Public Health. • The outbreak began in October 2025 in South Carolina and resulted in nearly 1,000 confirmed cases over six months, with more than 600 cases occurring in 2026 alone; at least 21 hospitalizations were recorded with no reported deaths. • Canada has been significantly impacted, losing its measles elimination status on November 10, 2025, and reporting 907 cases since the start of 2026, with Manitoba accounting for 556 cases.

• Public health officials confirmed two cases of measles in Sacramento County, California, amid ongoing monitoring for potential spread. • The cases highlight persistent risks despite national vaccination efforts, with officials urging unvaccinated residents to seek immunization. • Measles outbreaks underscore gaps in herd immunity, particularly in localized communities, prompting heightened surveillance statewide.

Health secretary says ‘I had nothing to do with the measles outbreak’ and claims to support measles and MMR vaccinesHealth secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr faced intense questioning from several US senators on Wednesday during a hearing largely focused on how the administration has responded to the measles outbreak and the spread of vaccine misinformation.In his opening remarks to the Senate finance committee, the senator Ron Wyden criticized Kennedy’s messaging on vaccines, saying: “When it comes to vaccines, Robert Kennedy has used this once-in-a-lifetime platform to make parents doubt themselves and doubt their doctors,” before adding: “The secretary has ducked, bobbed and weaved without taking the responsibility of saying what needs to be said: vaccines save lives in America.” Continue reading...

Bottlenecks in the system and parent’s suspicions mean doctors expect another serious outbreak soonBy 10am on a spring day, the corridor of the clinic in the Transylvanian town of Săcele was already crowded with parents and children. They were all waiting to see Dr Mirela Csabai, one of just seven general practitioners serving a population of more than 30,000.Most of the cases that morning were routine: colds, checkups, chronic conditions. The calm, however, is recent. In 2024, a measles epidemic tore through this community and left one unvaccinated toddler dead. Continue reading...

• California has recorded at least 40 measles cases so far in 2026, surpassing the 25 cases of all 2025 and the highest annual total since 73 in 2019. • San Francisco confirmed its first measles case in 7 years in an unvaccinated infant under 1 year old, infected during international travel and recovering at home. • Outbreaks linked to unvaccinated travelers from South Carolina's 1,000-case surge and other states, with exposures at Sacramento preschools, San Bernardino, San Diego ER, and Bay Area sites.

Data shows 85% of those infected in the state have been not vaccinated against measles as dozens are hospitalizedMeasles: how does it spread and how can I protect my child?Utah has emerged as a major center of measles infections in the US, as an outbreak that has been building for some time continues to expand.State officials reported a total of 602 measles cases on Wednesday tied to an outbreak that started last year and is still ongoing, including 19 newly identified infections, according to the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP). Recent exposures have been reported at several preschools and elementary schools. Continue reading...

• The US measles case count increased by 43 cases last week to 1,714 total, according to the CDC's weekly update released April 10, 2026. • More than half of the new cases occurred in Utah, marking a smaller jump compared to the prior week's 96-case increase. • This ongoing outbreak highlights gaps in vaccination coverage amid public health concerns over declining immunization rates.

• The CDC reported 43 new measles cases in the US for the week ending April 10, 2026, bringing the national total to 1,714 cases. • More than half of the new cases occurred in Utah, which saw 73 infections last week alone after 142 cases in the past three weeks versus 197 for all of 2025. • The slower increase compared to the prior week's 96 cases highlights ongoing outbreaks concentrated in specific states amid declining vaccination rates.

• Texas health officials reported 156 measles cases as of April 7, 2026, in a Dallas County outbreak starting March 15, with 12 hospitalizations. • 89% of cases unvaccinated, including 45 children under 5; infection rate 90% among exposed susceptibles. • Declared public health emergency; impacts 2 million residents, straining ERs amid 83% vaccination goal miss.

UN assists in emergency vaccination drive as country battles worst surge in cases in years amid fall in vaccination ratesBangladesh is battling its worse measles outbreak in years, with more than 100 children dead amid a rise in unvaccinated infants.The government, in partnership with the United Nations, has begun conducting an emergency measles-rubella vaccination drive for children across the country, after more than 900 cases were confirmed since March. Continue reading...

• Measles cases from Texas federal detention facilities infected at least 4 El Paso residents who worked there, marking a community outbreak. • Infectious disease expert Flor M. stated, 'By definition, when more than 2 measles cases occur in a community where there should be 0 cases, this is an outbreak.' • The incident highlights risks of contagious diseases escaping confined settings into wider US populations amid ongoing vaccination policy debates.

• US measles cases climbed to 1,671 as of April 6, 2026, with 96 new infections reported in the past week, the vast majority in Utah according to the CDC weekly update. • All but 10 cases are linked to 32 states and New York City, with 94% associated with 17 outbreaks including one new outbreak of three or more related cases. • The number of affected states increased by one this week, highlighting ongoing transmission risks amid declining vaccination rates.