Measles Threat Intensifies Worldwide as Nearly 11 Million Infections Are Expected in 2026
A renewed global measles surge is putting millions of people at risk in 2026, with health experts estimating that nearly 11 million people could contract the highly contagious disease this year.
Measles, once dramatically reduced through widespread vaccination, is again emerging as a major public-health concern across several regions. Recent reporting based on World Health Organization estimates indicates that around 11 million measles infections could occur globally in 2026, with the largest burden expected in Africa and Asia. Outbreaks are also being reported in parts of Europe and the Americas.
Vaccination Gaps Behind the Resurgence
The renewed spread is closely connected to gaps in childhood immunization. WHO and UNICEF reported in July that 84% of children globally received their first measles-containing vaccine dose in 2025, while only 77% received the second dose.
Those figures remain well below the approximately 95% two-dose coverage generally required to prevent sustained measles transmission. WHO and UNICEF said 57 countries experienced large or disruptive measles outbreaks during 2025.
The problem is particularly severe in communities where children have limited access to routine healthcare. In many lower-income countries, vaccination programmes continue to face challenges associated with poverty, conflict, displacement, weak health infrastructure and limited vaccine access.
Africa and Asia Face Major Pressure
Health experts expect much of the projected 2026 measles burden to occur in Africa and Asia. These regions contain large populations of children living in areas where immunization coverage remains below the level needed to prevent outbreaks.
Recent reporting has also highlighted measles epidemics in countries affected by conflict and displacement, including Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. Outbreaks have also been reported in countries such as Zambia and the Maldives.
The combination of population movement and incomplete vaccination can allow measles to spread rapidly between communities and across international borders.
The Americas Also Recording a Major Increase
The resurgence is not restricted to lower-income regions. The Pan American Health Organization reported that 186,168 measles cases had been reported worldwide by July 2026, representing a 12% increase compared with the same period in 2025.
The Americas have experienced particularly strong transmission. PAHO said confirmed measles cases in the region during 2026 had reached their highest level since 2004.
In the United States, the CDC reported 2,777 confirmed measles cases as of August 20, 2026, with 94% of confirmed cases associated with outbreaks. The CDC also reported 36 outbreaks during 2026.
Why Measles Spreads So Quickly
Measles is among the most contagious infectious diseases. The virus spreads through the air when an infected person breathes, coughs or sneezes, making communities with immunity gaps particularly vulnerable.
WHO describes measles as a serious airborne disease capable of causing complications including pneumonia, encephalitis, severe dehydration and blindness. Young children, especially those who are undernourished, face a greater risk of severe illness.
Millions of Children Still Missing Vaccines
Global immunization statistics show why health authorities remain concerned. WHO and UNICEF estimated that 13.5 million children were “zero-dose” children in 2025, meaning they did not receive any routine vaccine during their first year of life.
Although this represented an improvement of nearly 750,000 children compared with the previous year, the organizations warned that progress remains too slow and uneven.
The situation is particularly difficult in fragile and conflict-affected settings, where more than half of the world’s zero-dose children live despite these countries representing only about one-third of the global child population.
A Preventable Disease Returning
The current measles situation is especially significant because vaccination has already demonstrated its ability to dramatically reduce deaths from the disease.
WHO estimates that measles vaccination prevented nearly 59 million deaths between 2000 and 2024. Nevertheless, approximately 95,000 people died from measles in 2024, with the overwhelming majority of deaths occurring in low-income countries.
The latest global figures therefore highlight a paradox: the world has an effective vaccine, yet immunity gaps are allowing a highly contagious disease to regain ground.
Global Statistics at a Glance
- Projected 2026 measles infections: nearly 11 million
- Global first-dose measles vaccination coverage in 2025: 84%
- Global second-dose coverage in 2025: 77%
- Coverage generally needed to prevent outbreaks: about 95%
- Zero-dose children in 2025: 13.5 million
- Global measles deaths in 2024: about 95,000
- Estimated worldwide cases reported by July 2026: 186,168
- 2026 global reported cases compared with the same period in 2025: up 12%
The statistics underline an important global health challenge: preventing the next wave of measles will depend not only on vaccine availability but also on reaching children who remain outside routine health systems. International health agencies continue to call for stronger immunization programmes, better disease surveillance and efforts to close vaccination gaps before outbreaks become larger and harder to control.
Figures for 2026 are based on projections and reported cases available at different points during the year; they should not be interpreted as a final full-year global case count.
