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Measles cases in the United States have climbed to 2,030 as of this past Friday, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This figure approaches last year’s total of 2,288 cases, which marked the highest number since 1991.
The CDC reports 30 new measles outbreaks so far this year, a decrease from 48 outbreaks in 2025. Children and teenagers make up the majority of cases, with over 92% of those infected being unvaccinated. Hospitalizations have affected 127 individuals, accounting for roughly 6% of the reported cases.
Florida has confirmed 154 measles cases since the beginning of the year, primarily concentrated in Collier County following an outbreak at Ave Maria University near Naples. No new cases have been reported in Florida for over a week, though the state health department has issued few public updates regarding the situation.
In Utah, nine new cases were reported over the past three weeks, a decline from the previous weekly average of about 10. Despite this reduction, the state continues to contend with a significant outbreak totaling 675 cases since last summer.
South Carolina experienced the largest measles outbreak in the U.S. in over 30 years, which subsided by late April. However, the virus has since spread to rural areas in Pennsylvania and Virginia.
Pennsylvania’s health department has confirmed 60 cases, mainly in Lancaster and Lebanon counties. Virginia reports the largest cluster with 91 cases, mostly in central regions of the state.
In response, Virginia’s Piedmont Health District, in partnership with Lynchburg-based Centra Health, established a system allowing residents to call paramedics for home visits. This approach enables healthcare workers to test entire households and manage symptoms such as high fever and dehydration directly at home, potentially reducing hospital admissions.
Dr. Chris Thomson, executive vice president of Centra Health, emphasized the benefits of early intervention through home visits, noting that providing treatments like IV fluids promptly may prevent severe illness requiring hospitalization. Additionally, home visits allow for better identification of other potentially infected individuals.
While vaccination efforts continue, the Piedmont Health District is focusing more on encouraging isolation and quarantine measures within largely unvaccinated communities. Dr. Maria Almond, the district director, explained that pushing vaccination too forcefully can be counterproductive, as residents may be more receptive to practical guidance on limiting spread.
Despite these efforts, Dr. Almond anticipates the outbreak could persist for several more months.
Looking ahead, it remains uncertain whether these ongoing outbreaks will jeopardize the United States’ measles elimination status, which was declared in 2000. The Pan American Health Organization is scheduled to review and make a determination on this matter in November.