US measles cases climb above 5,000 for first time since 1991

WASHINGTON: US measles cases have surged to 5,182 so far this year, the highest annual total recorded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 35 years, as the disease continues to spread across the country.

The vast majority of infections were among people who were unvaccinated or whose vaccination status was unknown, accounting for 96 percent of cases in 2026, the CDC’s data showed.

Pennsylvania is the hardest-hit state in the outbreak. Its health department, which updated its data on Friday, reported 1,487 cases and ⁠287 hospitalizations. It ⁠also reported its sixth measles-associated death this week.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services reported an infant’s death on Thursday, while New York reported its first known measles-associated death in more than 30 years earlier this week.