U.S. Measles Cases Reach Over 2,200--Nearly Totaling All Measles Cases Recorded In 2025

Source: Forbes


Antonio Pequeño IV, Jul 11, 2026, 05:27pm EDT

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Similar to last year, children ages five to 19 are most affected by the illness, with 1,122 cases.

The CDC has found 93% of this year’s cases are linked to people who are unvaccinated or whose vaccination status is unknown.

Measles has caused 140 hospitalizations this year, the CDC reported, noting no deaths have been recorded.



What Are Measles Symptoms?

Measles is characterized by fever, rash, cough, fatigue, red eyes and runny nose, with symptoms generally appearing 10 to 14 days after exposure—though they can also appear as late as 21 days after exposure. The illness can spread through coughs, sneezes and infected surfaces. It is also capable of lingering in the air and on surfaces for up to two hours.



Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. played down an outbreak of measles that began last year in Texas, saying it was “not unusual.” He also supported the supervised use of vitamin A to treat the illness. However, as cases increased, Kennedy, a vaccine skeptic, said the “most effective way to prevent the spread of measles is the MMR vaccine.” The measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine has been available for over 50 years and is 97% effective at preventing measles with the standard two-dose schedule and 93% effective with one dose. Last year’s outbreak resulted in three deaths, the first of which marked the first recorded death from measles in the U.S. in a decade.




Read more: https://www.forbes.com/sites/antoniopequenoiv/2026/07/11/us-measles-cases-reach-over-2200-nearly-totaling-all-measles-cases-recorded-in-2025/?utm_campaign=forbes&utm_medium=social&utm_source=bluesky

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· 7h
The U.S. is just a few dozen measles cases away from exceeding the number of cases recorded in 2025.

The U.S. is just a few dozen measles cases away from exceeding the number of cases recorded in 2025.

— Forbes (@forbes.com) 2026-07-11T21:30:06Z

The measles virus, paramyxoviridae from the Morbillivirus family, transmission microscopy view.
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