In 2000, measles was declared eradicated in the United States, thanks to vaccination.
Since 2026 began, the United States has already recorded its worst measles outbreak in 35 years, according to official figures released Friday, a serious uptick in cases as vaccine hesitancy grows.
In just seven months, 2,318 confirmed cases of the highly contagious illness have been recorded, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
That surpasses the total for 2025, a year that had already shattered records, posting 2,289 cases and three deaths including two young children.
“We are witnessing an avoidable crisis that disproportionally hurts children,” said Andrew Racine, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
