Florida is now among the top five states for measles cases in 2026, according to new numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Nationwide, the country has logged 2,318 confirmed measles cases so far this year, already more than all of 2025, which had 2,289. That’s the highest level the U.S. has seen in 35 years. You must go back to the early ’90s to find over 2,300 cases in a single year.
Young people are getting hit the hardest. Kids and teens ages 5 to 19 account for nearly half of all reported cases, 49%, to be exact. Most of them, about 93%, were unvaccinated.
Just seven states have avoided measles entirely in 2026: Arkansas, Hawaii, Indiana, Mississippi, Nevada, New Hampshire, and West Virginia.
Florida sits at number five in confirmed measles cases this year, with 141 cases so far. Most of these trace back to Collier County, where an outbreak at Ave Maria University sparked a surge earlier this year.
Topping the list, South Carolina leads with 670 cases, followed by Utah at 522. Texas and Virginia have also seen high numbers, with 188 and 176 cases, respectively.
Public health experts say communities need a 95% MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccination rate for herd immunity. Florida, though, is lagging. It ranks 38th in the country for vaccination rates among kindergarteners, with only about 88.8% vaccinated in the 2024-25 school year.
Florida’s spike in measles cases is dramatic, a jump from just 8 in 2025 to 141 confirmed in 2026. Florida’s Department of Health has recorded up to 155 measles cases, though 14 still await confirmation.
Collier County accounts for most cases in Florida. Pinellas and Duval counties follow, tied for second, each with six confirmed cases. Other counties in the Tampa Bay area, like Polk, Hillsborough, Manatee, and Pasco, also reported cases.
