The CDC Indicates Over 5000 Cases of Measles Reported in the United States

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A Medical Assistant draws a measles, mumps and rubella, vaccination to be administered to a young person at the pediatric office of Dr. Gary M. Kramer on August 13, 2026, in Coral Gables, Florida. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday to overhaul childhood vaccination policy.

As 2026 draws to a close, cases of measles are on the rise across the country. Case numbers are well above 5000 as of early November and don’t seem likely to dwindle anytime soon.

As the CDC updates information and statistics on case numbers, many Americans are looking for answers.

The CDC Tracks Measles Cases in the United States

The CDC reports that as of November 5, 2026, 5,182 confirmed cases of measles have been reported in the United States across 47 jurisdictions. This is an alarming jump from 2025, which saw 2,289 cases in the United States across the entire year.

Though measles is never an easy condition to handle, it’s getting worse for many individuals.

“Eight measles-associated deaths have been confirmed so far in 2026: six in Pennsylvania, one in New York and one in Wisconsin,” ABC News writes. Sadly, fatalities will likely only rise.

The CDC reports that 908 cases were reported in children under five years old. In ages 5-19, cases rose to 2,104. Cases in people over 20 made up the largest percentage of cases, with 2,132 infected individuals. Thirty-eight cases were discovered in individuals whose age wasn’t known.

The organization reports that 96% of individuals with measles were not vaccinated.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Has Been Critical of Reported Numbers

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy has been a long-time critic of many vaccines. Amid the recent measles outbreaks, he’s suggested that the related deaths could be fabricated.

Pennsylvania has been among the hardest-hit states. The Pennsylvania Department of Health will use the term “measles-associated” when someone dies with evidence of measles in their body, even if a professional doesn’t cite measles as the cause of death. After the department announced a measles-related death, Kennedy questioned the legitimacy of the findings.

“The announcement appears to have been premature, and the deaths may even have been altogether fabricated by one of the Governor’s hopeful staffers,” RFK wrote, as per Fox News. “The Lancaster County Coroner says that it has no record of any measles deaths.”

In August, President Trump signed an executive order into law, completely overhauling childhood vaccine recommendations. The order called for the vaccine that tackles measles, mumps, and rubella to be separated into three different shots.