There have been more cases in the United States in the past year and a half than in the previous 25 years combined.Image: shutterstock.com
The USA is fighting a measles epidemic. Last year the number of cases rose to a record high. This level was already exceeded in July.
July 26, 2026, 05:01July 26, 2026, 05:01
The number of measles infections in the United States has risen to its highest level in decades. More than 2,300 cases in 45 states have already been documented this year, according to figures from the CDC and Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. According to the data, that is already more than in the entire year of 2025. According to the CDC, there were 2,289 cases back then – and that was more than in previous decades.
In 2000, the disease was actually already considered defeated in the USA. After that there were only sporadic smaller outbreaks. There have been more cases in the past year and a half than in the previous 25 years combined.
Measles was declared eradicated in Canada’s North American neighbor in 1998. Because the country is also struggling with large outbreaks, the corresponding status was revoked by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) in the fall. The USA is now threatened with something similar.
The states that have been particularly affected in the USA this year so far are South Carolina, Utah, Texas, Florida and Arizona. More than half of the infections affected children and adolescents and more than 90 percent of those affected were not vaccinated.
Criticism of Health Secretary Kennedy
Last year, two children in Texas and a man in the state of New Mexico died after measles infections. Measles is one of the most contagious infectious diseases and can be life-threatening in extreme cases.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., appointed by US President Donald Trump, has been criticized for the increasing number of measles infections. He had repeatedly expressed doubts about the usefulness of vaccinations. (sda/dpa)