CDC reports 5,182 preliminary U.S. measles cases through November 5, 2026.
Why it matters: The outbreak is concentrated among people younger than 20 as kindergarten MMR coverage remains below the CDC's 95% community-immunity benchmark. The same update reported 562 hospitalizations and 43 outbreaks.
- People younger than 20 accounted for 3,012 of 5,144 cases with listed ages, including 908 children under 5.
- The CDC said 96% of cases involved people who were unvaccinated or whose vaccination status was unknown.
- The CDC reported 562 hospitalizations, 4,993 outbreak-associated cases and 43 outbreaks through November 5.
- Kindergarten MMR coverage fell to 92.4% in 2025-2026, below the CDC's 95% benchmark.
The CDC's November 5 surveillance update reported 5,182 confirmed U.S. measles cases in 2026. The case count is preliminary. The update also reported hospitalizations, outbreaks and deaths for the same year-to-date period, without separately labeling those figures as preliminary.
Of the total, 5,164 cases were reported by 47 U.S. jurisdictions and 18 involved international visitors, according to Reuters' report of the CDC update. Among the 5,144 cases with listed ages, 908 involved children under 5, 2,104 involved people ages 5 to 19, and 2,132 involved adults 20 and older. The listed age groups leave 38 cases without an assigned age in that breakdown.
The CDC said 96% of cases involved people who were unvaccinated or whose vaccination status was unknown. It reported 562 hospitalizations, or about 10.8% of cases, plus 4,993 outbreak-associated cases and 43 outbreaks in 2026. The agency listed four measles-associated deaths nationally through November 5.
Pennsylvania had 1,487 cases and 287 hospitalizations, followed by South Carolina with 670 cases and Utah with 536, Reuters reported.
Kindergarten MMR coverage declined from 95.2% in 2019-2020 to 92.4% in 2025-2026, according to the CDC. The agency says coverage above 95% generally supports community immunity. About 280,000 kindergartners were estimated to be at risk during 2025-2026.
By the numbers
- 5,182 - preliminary U.S. measles cases reported through November 5, 2026
- 562 - hospitalizations reported in the same year-to-date update
- 92.4% - kindergarten MMR coverage in the 2025-2026 school year
Yes, but: The case count is explicitly preliminary, while the CDC update does not separately identify the hospitalization and death figures as preliminary. Coverage data refer to the 2025-2026 school year rather than the 2026 year-to-date case period.