Measles outbreaks update
AHA News reported Utah’s measles outbreak reached 583 cases as of April 7, with 386 diagnosed in 2026 alone and the U.S. tally at 1,714 confirmed cases so far this year, while local reporting noted 121 Utah cases in the last three weeks and a 10-month active outbreak (aha.org) (abc4.com). Scripps News added that South Carolina has seen religious exemptions more than double since 2020, with 4% of school-age students holding exemptions in 2025–26, and Florida’s Collier County cluster remained steady at 106 cases with most patients aged 15–24 (scrippsnews.com) (wusf.org).
Measles outbreaks are still growing across the United States, with Utah reporting 583 cases in its outbreak as of April 7. (aha.org) Utah health officials have linked 386 of those cases to 2026, and local reporting said 121 infections were diagnosed there in the last three weeks alone. (aha.org) (abc4.com) The Utah outbreak began in June 2025 and has now stayed active for 10 months, making it the most active measles outbreak in the country right now. (abc4.com) (utahnewsdispatch.com) Measles spreads through the air and can remain in an airspace for up to two hours after an infected person leaves. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it is highly contagious and preventable with vaccination. (cdc.gov 1) (cdc.gov 2) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends two doses of the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine for children. The agency says two doses are the best protection against measles. (cdc.gov 1) (cdc.gov 2) South Carolina’s outbreak has been tied to falling school vaccination coverage and rising exemptions. Scripps News reported religious exemptions there have more than doubled since 2020, and 4% of school-age students hold them in the 2025–26 school year. (scrippsnews.com) In Spartanburg County, which Scripps identified as the outbreak’s epicenter, fewer than 90% of students have received required vaccines. Doctors interviewed by Scripps said babies depend on community protection because they are too young for routine vaccination. (scrippsnews.com) Florida’s biggest cluster has been in Collier County, where reported cases held at 106 on April 12 after weeks of increases. WUSF said most patients there are 15 to 24 years old. (wusf.org) WUSF reported Florida ranked fourth among states for 2026 measles cases, behind South Carolina, Utah, and Texas. The same report cited a Johns Hopkins tracker showing 1,768 United States cases this year, higher than the 1,714 national total cited by AHA News from earlier federal data. (wusf.org) (aha.org) (publichealth.jhu.edu) The numbers are moving fast enough that totals now differ by source and reporting date. What has not changed is that Utah, South Carolina, and southwest Florida are still driving a large share of the country’s measles cases in April 2026. (aha.org) (wusf.org) (scrippsnews.com)
