Measles surge dramatically in California among children and young adults
See more from the L.A.Times in Google Search.
Set us as preferred Measles cases have doubled in California so far this year compared to last year — and 2026 is barely half over.California has confirmed 52 measles cases in the first 6½ months of the year; that’s more than double the 25 cases reported in all of 2025.If this pace continues, the number of cases will pass California’s high from 2015, when there were 125 cases in the state and a portion of them were related to a large outbreak at Disneyland.Of this year’s 52 cases, 49 patients were either unvaccinated or had an unknown vaccination record.
Four have had to be hospitalized.Many cases involve children or young adults — 27 cases involved those ages 5 to 19, and 15 cases involved children under 5 years old, according to the California Department of Public Health.
L.A.County has tallied seven cases so far this year among its residents.
Nationally, measles cases have nearly eclipsed last year’s total already and the country is poised to hit its highest case level since the late 1980s and early ’90s.As of mid-July, 2,260 measles cases were reported, compared to 2,289 in all of last year.
Last year’s tally was the highest in a single year since the devastating 1989-91 measles epidemic, which resulted in more than 55,000 cases and 166 suspected deaths.The U.S.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 93% of confirmed measles cases are associated with outbreaks.There have been 34 new outbreaks reported so far this year.
New measles cases continue to be reported across California at a regular clip, putting unvaccinated people — including babies too young to have received their first immunization — at risk of severe illness and potentially death.The latest case involved a juvenile who had been living abroad and now lives in Orange County; the child was contagious with measles while passing through Los Angeles International Airport, officials said.
The juvenile arrived on a fl...