Measles stays on the national watch list as holiday travel ramps up

Measles remains a national summer-travel watch item as the July 4 holiday weekend begins. CDC updated its measles cases page on July 2, and the agency’s wastewater measles page says data was not updated on Friday, July 3, because of the federal holiday; updates resume Monday, July 6.

As of July 2, CDC said 2,170 confirmed measles cases had been reported in the U.S. in 2026, with 31 outbreaks and 93% of cases linked to outbreaks. The agency says 2025-26 counts are preliminary and can change as new reports come in.

What the wastewater signal does and does not mean

CDC says wastewater monitoring helps gauge measles risk at a community level. It is not a case count: a detection means wild-type measles virus may be present in a community, including from people who live, work, or travel through the area. CDC also says the signal can detect virus earlier than clinical testing in some situations.

The agency says the overall outbreak risk to the general population is low, but importations and outbreaks are more likely where vaccination rates are lower.

Why officials are still watching closely

CDC says national MMR coverage among kindergarteners fell from 95.2% in the 2019-20 school year to 92.5% in 2024-25, leaving about 286,000 kindergartners at risk. The agency also says measles often spreads during high-travel periods such as summer.

AAP News reported June 26 that this year’s case count had reached 93% of last year’s total, with about 93% of patients unvaccinated or of unknown vaccination status. AP separately reported that Utah’s yearlong fight against measles is part of the broader concern over whether the U.S. can hold onto elimination status.

What readers should do before traveling

CDC says people who are not already vaccinated or do not know their status should get two doses of MMR at least two weeks before international travel. If the trip is sooner, CDC says a dose is still worth getting.

If fever and rash appear after travel or exposure, contact a clinician quickly and mention possible measles exposure.

Sources

• CDC — Measles Cases and Outbreaks
• CDC Data — Wastewater Data for Measles
• AAP News — Measles cases update
• Associated Press — Utah measles outbreak report