The RecordExhibit 100
Measles at a 35-year high
Measured trend means: A documented outcome or statistic, not a legal claim. How much of it is caused by administration policy is debated.
The U.S. confirmed 3,471 measles cases by Sept. 17, 2026, far above 2025's 2,288, which was itself the worst year since 1991.
What happened
From 2001 to 2024 the typical year saw fewer than 100 cases. Four measles deaths have been confirmed in Pennsylvania this year, after three deaths in 2025. In November, health authorities will decide whether the U.S. keeps the measles-elimination status it has held since 2000; Canada has already lost its status.
Where it stands
Experts point to falling vaccination rates and vaccine hesitancy. The health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is a longtime vaccine skeptic who replaced the CDC's vaccine advisers (see Health & science).
The administration's side
The biggest outbreaks began in close-knit communities with high exemption rates, like a Texas county where about 20% of kindergartners had exemptions, a trend that predates this administration.
Sources
Permanent link: https://unredactedrecord.com/e/measles/