ATLANTA, Feb. 12, 2026 — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the U.S. has recorded 733 confirmed measles cases in 2026 as of Feb. 5, with 92% tied to outbreaks and cases reported in 20 jurisdictions.
That total is 145 higher than a week earlier and includes 727 cases in states plus six among international visitors, according to the CDC update summarized by Contagion Live.
South Carolina outbreak drives totals
The South Carolina Department of Public Health reported 44 new cases in the Upstate, bringing the state’s outbreak to 920 cases, with 277 people in quarantine and eight in isolation, according to a Feb. 6 update.
The outbreak is the largest in decades and new cases have been reported across other states, CIDRAP reported, underscoring how quickly the virus spreads in pockets of low vaccination.
Vaccination coverage and risk
CDC data show kindergarten MMR coverage has fallen to 92.5% in the 2024–2025 school year from 95.2% in 2019–2020, leaving about 286,000 kindergartners at risk, according to the agency’s vaccine coverage tables.
Contagion Live noted that many states remain below the 95% coverage benchmark for community protection, a gap health officials say allows outbreaks to take hold when measles is introduced.
National trend and outlook
An NBC News tracking map shows more than 700 cases this year, making 2026 one of the three worst years for U.S. measles infections since 2000 and pointing to South Carolina as the current epicenter.
CDC records show 2,276 cases in 2025, the highest in decades, and public health experts cited by CIDRAP warn the U.S. could surpass last year’s total if current outbreaks continue, according to CDC case totals.
Health officials continue to urge vaccination and to check immunity status, especially for travelers and families in outbreak areas, noting that measles can spread through the air and linger in indoor spaces, according to CDC guidance.
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Image: “Young girl about to receive a vaccine in her upper arm” by SELF Magazine (via Flickr), CC BY 2.0. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Young_girl_about_to_receive_a_vaccine_in_her_upper_arm_(48545990252).jpg. License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0. Modifications: cropped and resized to 1920×1080 (16:9).
