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Massive increase in measles cases in the US
A measles exposure alert has been issued as Maryland health officials say a confirmed case involves an infectious traveler who passed through Union Station. In Virginia, officials report a preschool age child tested positive after recently traveling internationally.
NORTHEAST - The number of measles cases across the United States continues to grow, even prompting a top federal health official to plead with Americans to get the vaccine.
Outbreaks have been the most prevalent in the South and West, but the Northeast remains an active area for the disease this year.
By the numbers:
As of February 12, the CDC says 910 confirmed cases have been reported across the US so far this year. South Carolina leads with over 600 confirmed cases, which is nearly 70% of the nation's total.
The Northeast region currently has 11 confirmed cases; five in Pennsylvania, one in New York and five in Virginia.
Just this month, possible measles exposure was reported at the Philadelphia International Airport and multiple Washington, D.C., tourist sites. An infant in New York City was also found to be a confirmed case.
This year's numbers are following a dangerous upward trend from 2025, which saw a total of 2,280 confirmed cases — the highest number since 1991.
What they're saying:
Dr. Mehmet Oz, the administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, encouraged Americans to get the measles vaccines during an appearance on CNN's "State of the Union" last week.
"Take the vaccine, please. We have a solution for our problem," Oz said. "Not all illnesses are equally dangerous, and not all people are equally susceptible to those illnesses. But measles is one [where] you should get your vaccine."
About 94% of measles cases in 2026 occurred in individuals who were unvaccinated or had an unknown vaccination status, according to the CDC.
What is measles?
Dig deeper:
Measles is a highly contagious, viral respiratory disease that spreads through air droplets and can lead to severe complications, such as pneumonia and brain swelling.
Symptoms
Measles symptoms typically appear 7 to 14 days after exposure, beginning with a cough, runny nose, red and watery eyes and fever.
A hallmark sign of measles is tiny white dots on the lining of the cheek, before the measles rash begins to form. The rash typically begins at the hairline, and consists of flat red spots that may develop small, raised bumps.
The Source: Information from this article was sourced from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and CNN.