US measles cases reach 4,588 as Pennsylvania reports 1,338

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 4,588 confirmed measles cases in the United States as of October 22, 2026, after adding 178 cases in the previous week, according to a summary by Contagion Live. The 4.0% week-over-week increase brought the national total to about twice the 2,289 cases recorded during all of 2025, and 96% of cases were outbreak-associated.

Pennsylvania health officials reported 1,338 confirmed cases across 44 counties since the state's outbreak began in late April, with 21 new cases added since October 21, PennLive reported. Five deaths have been linked to the outbreak, and 255 people have been hospitalized, a rate of nearly 20% of cases.

In Ohio, the Department of Health reported 260 cases in 24 counties for 2026 as of October 22, after adding eight cases in the past week; that was a 66% drop from the prior week's 24 new cases, and Van Wert County joined the list of affected counties. Ohio's 2026 total is 477% higher than the 45 cases recorded for the full year 2025.

CDC data show 479 hospitalizations among the 4,588 cases, or 10%. Children younger than 5 years had a hospitalization rate of 16% (119 of 766), adults 20 years and older had 14% (268 of 1,881), and people aged 5 to 19 years had 5% (91 of 1,914). People under 20 years accounted for 58% of cases (2,680 of 4,588), while adults 20 and older made up 41% (1,881 cases); the age of 27 cases was unknown.

Vaccination data from CDC show that among 2026 patients, 96% were unvaccinated or had unknown vaccination status, 2% had received one MMR dose, and 2% had received two doses. Kindergarten MMR coverage declined to 92.4% in 2025-2026, down from 95.2% in 2019-2020, leaving about 280,000 kindergartners at risk, according to CDC.

Pennsylvania has about 300 department staff collaborating with residents, community groups, and health care providers, and state health centers have given more than 6,500 MMR shots at 226 pop-up clinics, with dozens more planned, PennLive reported. The department recommends an early MMR dose for infants 6 to 11 months old who reside in or visit counties with ongoing community spread. For children 12 months and older with no previous dose, the recommendation is to give the first dose right away and a second dose at least 28 days later.

In Ohio, the vast majority of cases are among unvaccinated people, according to the Ohio Department of Health. Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff, the department director, said in a July 30 statement: “It’s unfortunate that these outbreaks have become more common in Ohio over the past few years, because this disease is preventable”. Ohio's MMR coverage among children and adolescents was 91.5% for 2023.

At least five people in Pennsylvania had died from measles as of September 30, and none were vaccinated, according to USA TODAY Network reporting. The state health department said the first two deaths were Pennsylvania's first measles deaths in 35 years and were also the first measles deaths recorded nationally in 2026, based on CDC data. The Johns Hopkins University tracker listed 4,593 measles cases nationwide as of October 22, slightly above the CDC's 4,588 for the same date, according to USA TODAY Network reporting.

CDC notes on its website that the data page includes only confirmed cases that jurisdictions have notified the agency about, so the U.S. total may be higher. The agency also lists three measles deaths in 2026 but says the number is subject to change as reviews are completed.

Update, October 23, 2026

Mifflin County has reported 193 confirmed measles cases and one death, ranking second among Pennsylvania counties behind Lancaster, ABC27 reported from a Thursday roundtable in Reedsville. Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Debra Bogen convened the meeting with local health care systems, emergency medical services, and the Mifflin County School District to coordinate outbreak response. Bogen said state data tell only part of the story, and that listening to people caring for affected communities is essential to refining the public health response; she said the goal was to deliver resources, communication tools, and vaccine access so Mifflin County providers can protect families and end the outbreak. Participants also discussed community sentiment, information channels, and clinical response, and the Department of Health will use the feedback to improve its measles response.

Update, October 24, 2026

ABC News reported that the Pan American Health Organization will review the U.S. measles elimination status in November 2026, and that the country could lose that status if measles has circulated continuously for 12 months. The news organization also said January 2026 marked one year since measles cases were first detected in Texas, though it is unclear whether those cases are linked to other states. CDC data cited by ABC News showed 10 measles cases among international travelers so far this year and 2024-2025 kindergarten MMR coverage of 92.5%, down from 92.7% the prior school year. Dr. William Schaffner of Vanderbilt University Medical Center called the figures "very disappointing and very concerning" and said the elimination status is threatened.

Update, October 25, 2026

New York Governor Kathy Hochul issued a state disaster emergency on Monday in response to measles, according to ABC News. Her order, in effect until Nov. 4, cited 108 confirmed cases statewide as of Oct. 3, including 92 since mid-July across 18 rural counties with low vaccination rates. The declaration lets registered nurses order collection and testing of specimens for suspected measles and allows pharmacists to give MMR vaccine to children starting at age 2. It also permits emergency medical technicians-paramedics, advanced EMS staff, and midwives to administer MMR doses, removes a prior consent requirement before reporting vaccination of people 19 and older to New York City or New York State immunization registries, and requires reporting of all MMR vaccinations within 72 hours. New York said more than 1,000 MMR shots have been given in rural areas since July. Dr. James McDonald, the state health commissioner, said his staff is collaborating with county health departments and area partners to monitor and stop the outbreak. ABC News also reported kindergarten vaccine exemptions rose to 4.2% in 2025-26, from 3.6% the prior year and 2.2% in 2020-21.