Measles is a serious health issue in the news recently, so we wanted to provide vital information for parents and caregivers. As of February 19, 2026, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports 982 confirmed measles cases in the United States in 2026.

Where are the outbreaks occurring?

In 2026, the 26 jurisdictions with reported measles cases include: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Minnesota, Nebraska, New York City, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.

When at least 95% of people in a community are vaccinated, it helps protect nearly everyone. This is called community immunity, which helps slow the spread of measles. However, CDC reports that measles vaccination coverage among U.S. kindergartners dropped from 95.2% in the 2019–2020 school year to 92.5% in the 2024–2025 school year. That means about 286,000 kindergartners were not fully protected during the 2024–2025 school year.

4 Things Parents Need to Know About Measles

1. Measles can be serious. It has the potential to cause serious health complications in children, especially those under the age of five. In 2025, 11% of measles cases required hospitalization, and children under five accounted for 20% of these hospitalizations.
2. Measles is very contagious. It spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. The CDC states that if a person has measles, nine out of ten people around them will also become infected if they are not protected.
3. Children can still get measles in the U.S. Even though measles was declared eliminated from the U.S. in 2000 due to an effective vaccination program, it is still common in many parts of the world. Each year, measles is brought to the United States by unvaccinated travelers (Americans and foreign visitors) who contract measles when they are in other countries. Anyone who is not protected from measles is at risk.
4. You can protect your child against measles with a safe and effective vaccine. The CDC says the best protection is the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, which provides long-lasting protection against all strains of measles. Children need two doses of MMR vaccine to get the best protection:

• The first dose at 12-15 months of age
• The second dose at 4-6 years of age
  Note: If your family is traveling outside the U.S., the CDC recommends:
  
  • If your baby is between 6 and 11 months old, he or she should get one dose of the MMR vaccine before leaving.
  • If your child is 12 months or older, they will need two doses of the MMR vaccine (given at least 28 days apart) before departure.

Common symptoms of measles:

Common symptoms of measles usually appear seven to 14 days after a person is infected and include:

• High fever
• Cough
• Runny nose
• Red Eyes
• Flat red spots may appear three to five days after symptoms begin

What should a person do if they have been exposed to someone who has measles?

Contact your health care provider right away if you have been exposed to measles. They will assess your immunity status based on vaccination records, age, or laboratory evidence, and can arrange the assessment without risking exposure to others.

The CDC says to call your doctor right away and let him or her know that you have been exposed to someone who has measles. Your doctor will need to determine if you are immune based on vaccination records, age, or laboratory evidence, and may make special arrangements to evaluate you without putting other patients at risk.

To find a doctor, call us at the number above or fill out the form on the page.