US records 2,300 measles cases, worst outbreak since 1991

The United States has recorded 2,318 measles cases since the start of 2026, the worst outbreak in 35 years.

The last time the US had a similar high number of cases was in 1991, when 9,643 cases were recorded.

Measles was declared eradicated in the US in 2000 due to vaccination, but cases have resurged amid declining immunization rates.

Medical experts link the outbreak to vaccine skepticism promoted by health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Andrew Racine of the American Academy of Pediatrics criticized federal leaders for dismissing measles as benign and spreading misinformation about the MMR vaccine.