SALT LAKE COUNTY — Confirmed measles cases in the U.S. hit a 35-year high as of July 2026. For the first time in 25 years, the U.S. no longer meets the main criterion for having eliminated measles as a public health threat.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is finalizing a study of the nation’s measles situation using data from January 2025 through June 2026. Measles elimination status requires that sporadic outbreaks fizzle out within one year.

The majority of recent measles cases stem from domestic outbreaks fueled by declining vaccination rates. The combined number of measles cases in 2025 and 2026 exceeded the total cases from the previous 25 years.

Nearly 400 people were hospitalized with measles in the U.S. in 2025 and 2026. Three people died from measles in the U.S. in 2025 and 2026.

At least three people suffered brain swelling with lingering symptoms from measles in the U.S. in 2025 and 2026. The measles outbreak in Utah has persisted since June 2025.

Emilie Morris is a hospital pediatrician in Salt Lake County and Utah County, Utah. She described the physical toll the disease takes on young patients.

"The child is hunched over, mouth open, drooling, crying, maybe not even producing tears, because they’re so dehydrated," Morris said. She noted that children with measles may have glazed eyes.

He stated that hospitalized children with measles often exhibit tripoding, a posture particular to upper respiratory infections and airway swelling. He added that children with measles may have labored breathing with tugging in the belly and between the ribs.

Nathan Money is a hospital pediatrician in Salt Lake County and Utah County. He explained the clinical challenges posed by unvaccinated patients.

Money stated that he must be more aggressive medically with unvaccinated children who have fever or trouble breathing due to higher risk of life-threatening illnesses. Treating unvaccinated children often requires painful procedures like blood work or lumbar punctures to rule out meningitis. "Because your child doesn’t have vaccines, I have to be more worried about conditions like sepsis or meningitis, so therefore I need to do more workup," Money said.

Trahern W. Jones is a pediatric infectious disease specialist based in Salt Lake City. He outlined the severe respiratory symptoms associated with the disease.

Jones stated that children with measles complications may exhibit an awful barking cough and high-pitch stridor. "Even the best possible course is going to be one of the worst diseases most children ever go through," Jones said.

Physicians recommended quarantining unvaccinated siblings of measles patients at home for 21 days. Morris emphasized the need for strict isolation to prevent community spread.

"Don’t interact with anybody else in your community. Don’t go to the grocery store, even with a mask. Please take this seriously," he said. Cost concerns influenced some uninsured parents' decisions regarding whether their child should receive necessary medical care.

He stated that there is a breakdown of trust between physicians and families regarding measles severity. She stated that parents of hospitalized children often report pausing vaccines due to a perceived reaction in someone they knew.

she stated that some parents reported learning about measles only from grandparents who had cared for children with the disease in the past. She stated that well-meaning parents who love their children have gotten bad information from federal leadership or from online sources.

A national committee of measles specialists will review the CDC’s internal measles report. The CDC’s internal measles report will be submitted to the Pan American Health Organization.

The Pan American Health Organization evaluates the measles elimination status of countries in North, South, and Central America and the Caribbean. The Pan American Health Organization will make decisions on measles elimination status at an annual meeting in fall 2026.

A study titled Patterns of Transmission in Measles Outbreaks in the United States, 1985–1986 was published in 1989 in New England Journal of Medicine. A study titled Health Care-Associated Measles Outbreak in the United States After an Importation: Challenges and Economic Impact was published in 2011 in The Journal of Infectious Diseases.

The loss of measles elimination status marks a significant shift in public health infrastructure after decades of progress. The data indicates that domestic transmission chains have become sustained rather than sporadic, driven by gaps in immunization coverage.

The human cost includes hundreds of hospitalizations and preventable deaths across multiple states. Medical professionals report that misinformation and access barriers have eroded confidence in routine vaccination, leading to more aggressive diagnostic interventions for children who contract the virus.