CDC Adds 178 Measles Cases; Pennsylvania Reports 1,338

Federal health authorities reported 178 additional measles infections in the United States this week, bringing the 2026 total to 4,588 cases as of Friday. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recorded cases across at least 43 outbreaks. The tally stands at more than double the number recorded for all of 2025.

Pennsylvania reported 1,338 cases on Friday, the largest state total in the country. The CDC also reported large outbreaks in South Carolina and Utah, where more than 500 cases have been reported in each state. Official counts are considered an undercount of the disease, whose common symptoms include rash, runny nose, fever and cough.

Death counts recorded by state and federal authorities do not match. Pennsylvania authorities have reported five measles-associated deaths and are investigating a sixth. The CDC has reported three measles deaths nationally but has not disclosed the location of the third death, leaving unclear whether it occurred in Pennsylvania or another state.

Health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr reportedly asked senior CDC officials in September to remove a measles death from the official count after questioning whether the disease contributed to it, according to Reuters.

Health and Human Services announced changes this week to vaccine injury reporting. A proposal would let doctors bill for reporting suspected vaccine injuries. The vaccine adverse event reporting system, known as VAERS, is used by researchers to track rare safety issues.

Measles is among the most contagious diseases known to medicine. One in five unvaccinated people who become infected is hospitalized, and one to three people in 1,000 die of complications. The measles vaccine is 97% effective at preventing the disease, with side effects that include injection-site soreness and low-grade fever.

Before Kennedy took office, an expert panel reviewed each vaccine change to weigh benefits against risks. Kennedy dismissed all 17 sitting members of that board and replaced them with appointees of his choosing. A court blocked those appointments in March.