Is measles back in 2026?

Yes — measles is back in the United States and in several other countries in 2026. The US is experiencing its largest measles resurgence in decades: over 2,104 confirmed cases were reported to the CDC by mid-2026, surpassing every annual total since before the disease was declared eliminated in 2000. The outbreak is driven entirely by communities with low two-dose MMR vaccination coverage, not by a change in the virus itself. The measles virus (Measles morbillivirus) is genetically unchanged and the MMR vaccine remains highly effective (97% with two doses). States most affected include Texas, Montana, and others where pockets of unvaccinated individuals allowed the virus to sustain chains of transmission. Globally, WHO reports active outbreaks in Romania, Italy, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and several countries in sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia in 2025–2026. Measles is not 'back' as an endemic pathogen in the USA — elimination status is maintained as long as no continuous year-round chain of domestic transmission is established — but the current outbreak is a serious public-health warning about the consequences of falling vaccination rates.