About a week into the new year, the California Department of Public Health confirmed its first case of measles in 2026.
The diagnosis came from San Mateo County, where an unvaccinated adult may have contracted the virus during a recent visit, according to Preston Merchant, San Mateo County health spokesman.
Measles is one of the most contagious viruses in the world, and it can stay in the air for up to two hours after an infected person leaves, according to the CDPH. Although the US declared measles free in 2000, meaning there had been no reported cases of the disease in 12 months, measles has returned.
Last year, the US reported about 2,000 cases, the highest number reported since 1992. according to CDC data.
“Right now, our best strategy to avoid the spread is contact tracing, so reaching out to everyone who has had contact with this person,” Merchant said. “So far, they have no reported symptoms [California] mole of the year.”
San Mateo County also reported the death of an unvaccinated child from the flu this week.
Across the country, measles outbreaks are spreading. Today, the South Carolina Department of Public Health confirmed that the state’s outbreak has reached 310 cases. The number has been growing steadily since the first infection in July spread across the state and now it is being reported to be linked to infections in North Carolina and Washington.
Similar to the San Mateo case, the first reported infection in South Carolina came from an unvaccinated person who was exposed to measles while traveling internationally.
Along the Utah-Arizona border, a separate measles outbreak has reached 390 cases, from schools and daycare centers, according to the Utah Department of Health and Human Services.
Canada, another long-standing “measles-free” country, failed to fight measles in November. The Public Health Agency of Canada has announced that the country is battling a “large, multi-potential” measles outbreak that began in October 2024.
If the U.S. measles outbreak follows last year’s pattern, the U.S. faces losing its measles-free status next year.
For a country to be free of measles, reported outbreaks must be geographically uniform, as is the case in Canada. Since many situations in the United States were initially linked to foreign travel, the US has been able to hold on to this situation. However, as the outbreak of cases from America continues, this pattern may lead the Pan American Health Organization to change the country’s status.
In the first year of the Trump administration, officials led by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. advocated deregulation of the vaccine mandate and reduced funding for health research.
In December, Trump’s presidential memorandum led to a reduction in recommended childhood vaccines this week; in June, Kennedy you have been fired the entire CDC vaccine advisory committee, which replaces members who are skeptical of multiple vaccines.
Experts worry that recent debates over vaccine mandates in the White House will shake public confidence in the effectiveness of vaccines.
“The viruses and bacteria that were controlled are being released to those who are at high risk,” said Dr. James Alwine, a sexually transmitted disease doctor and member of the non-profit organization Defend Public Health, said Dr. The Times.
According to the CDPH, the measles vaccine provides 97% protection against measles with two doses.
Common symptoms of measles include a cough, runny nose, pink eye and hives. The virus is spread by breathing, coughing or talking, according to CDPH.
Measles often leads to hospitalizations and, for some, can be fatal.
