US measles cases reached 4,588 as of October 22, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That is more than double the 2,289 confirmed cases reported for all of 2025. NPR and CNBC both cite the CDC tally as the country faces its worst measles year in decades.

The CDC counts 43 outbreaks in 2026. NPR, citing CDC data, said 96% of 2026 cases were in people who were unvaccinated or whose vaccination status was unknown. CNBC reported at least three measles deaths nationwide this year and said experts warn the United States could lose its measles elimination status at an upcoming review.

Pennsylvania has the largest state burden, NPR reported, with at least 1,338 confirmed cases across 44 counties per the Pennsylvania Department of Health. State health officials also reported more than 250 hospitalizations and five deaths in Pennsylvania. Local Amish communities with low vaccination rates have been hard hit in Lancaster and Mifflin counties, NPR said.

Measles is highly contagious, and two MMR doses remain the main defense. Health officials are urging residents in outbreak areas to check their vaccine records. Hospitalization counts on some secondary pages could not be verified against the CDC text used for this card, so those figures are omitted here.

What we know: CDC reports 4,588 US cases as of October 22, with 43 outbreaks and most cases in unvaccinated or unknown-status people.
What we don't: Whether national elimination status will be lost, and how far state totals will climb in the next weekly update.