CDC confirms first US measles death of 2026 as cases reach 35-year high

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed its first measles-related death of 2026 on September 23, Reuters reported. The agency did not disclose the state where the death occurred. The confirmation came during a public dispute between federal officials and Pennsylvania, which has reported four measles-associated deaths this year.

A dispute over the death count

According to Reuters, the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics verified the death. A Bloomberg News report cited by Reuters indicated that the death confirmed by the CDC was one of the Pennsylvania deaths.

Pennsylvania had reported four measles-associated deaths and 835 cases as of September 23. The deaths have been the focus of a public dispute between Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has said only one of the deaths resulted from measles, Reuters reported.

Reuters said the CDC is working with the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists to develop a standardized case definition for measles deaths. Kawsar Talaat, an associate professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, told Reuters: "A standardized definition (of measles-related death) is very important, so that the cases can be counted objectively."

The CDC count has since changed. Its measles data page, updated September 28, lists two deaths in 2026, with the note: "This number is subject to change; CDC will update its reporting as additional information becomes available and relevant reviews are completed."

Case numbers

As of September 24, 2026, the CDC reported 3,659 confirmed measles cases this year. Of these, 3,642 were reported by 47 jurisdictions and 17 involved international visitors. The agency counted 40 new outbreaks in 2026, and said 95% of confirmed cases (3,478 of 3,659) are outbreak-associated. For comparison, the CDC lists 2,289 cases for all of 2025 and 285 for 2024.

Contagion Live reported that the national total rose by 188 cases from the week before, a 5.4% increase. It said 2026 has already surpassed any full year since measles elimination was declared in 2000. Earlier in September, Reuters reported that the US total had become the highest annual count in more than 35 years.

In Pennsylvania, Contagion Live reported 164 hospitalizations and cases in 39 of 67 counties as of September 23, along with nearly 5,200 MMR vaccinations given at 156 pop-up clinics since late April.

Vaccination rates

Contagion Live reported that MMR vaccine coverage among kindergartners declined from 95.2% in the 2019-2020 school year to 92.4% in 2025-2026, and that only 10 states exceed the 95% threshold for herd immunity. Reuters reported that the rise in cases over the past two years has coincided with a steady decline in childhood MMR vaccination rates since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Why it matters

The US is having its worst measles year in decades, and the number of deaths is now itself contested between state and federal officials. A standard definition of a measles-related death, which the CDC says it is developing with state epidemiologists, would shape how future deaths are counted and reported.

Sources

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.