Last year’s total of 2,289 was previously the highest number of recorded measles cases in more than 30 years, CDC data shows. However, the 2,777 total now marks the highest number of cases recorded since 1991.
The CDC currently recommends that people receive two doses of the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine, the first at ages 12 to 15 months and the second between 4 and 6 years old. One dose is 93% effective and two doses are 97% effective against measles, the CDC says.
However, CDC data shows vaccination rates have been lagging in recent years. During the 2025 to 2026 school year, 92.4% of kindergartners received the MMR vaccine, according to data. This marks the third straight school year with declining MMR coverage rates and is lower the 95.2% seen in the 2019 to 2020 school year, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. {read}