With 34 new infections, the US measles case count hit 1,748 today, according to a weekly update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This is the smallest weekly increase so far this year; last week saw 43 new cases, and the week before 96 additional cases.

The numbers come as new data from Africa show that millions of lives have been saved through measles vaccination in recent years.

The CDC said all but 10 of the 2026 cases are from 32 states and New York City, with the rest travel-related. Of all confirmed cases, 94% are associated with one of 19 outbreaks, two of which are newly confirmed. The country logged 48 outbreaks for all of last year, when the nation saw 2,286 measles cases, including three deaths. An outbreak is three or more related infections.

No measles-related deaths have been confirmed yet this year, but 98 patients have been hospitalized, or 6%, compared with 11% last year. Among all patients this year, 92% are unvaccinated or have an unknown vaccine status, similar to last year.

Of the 1,748 patients, 21% are children younger than five years, and 72% are kids and young adults up to age 19.

The United States could still top last year’s measles total by summer. The country will likely lose its measles elimination status—which it gained in 2000—in November, when officials assess all the outbreak data.

Multiple new cases in Arizona, Texas, North Dakota, Washington

Arizona confirmed six new measles cases and 78 for 2026, Texas has four new infections (180 total), according to the CDC map, and North Dakota has two new cases (33 total). Washington state officials reported four new cases, bringing its total to 37.

As noted earlier this week, Utah officials have reported 19 new cases and 405 for the year (602 cases when 2025 numbers are added). The CDC measles map, however, lists 414 cases in Utah for 2026, six more than it had a week ago.

Today South Carolina officials confirmed a measles case in an adult in Saluda County in the Midlands area of the state. But it is tied to international travel and not locally acquired, so the state is still on track to declare its outbreak over on April 26 if there are no new local cases before then.

Minnesota has confirmed 16 cases so far this year.

Africa CDC: Measles vaccination has saved 20 million lives in 25 years

Nearly 20 million measles-related deaths have been averted across Africa since 2000 by increasing vaccination coverage, according to the first-ever such analysis on the continent, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said this week.

Since 2000, 44 African nations have introduced a second dose of measles-containing vaccine into routine immunization schedules, increasing coverage rates from 5% in 2000 to 55% in 2024. Supplemental campaigns have delivered 622 million vaccinations. “These efforts collectively have halved measles deaths in the African region and led to a 40% drop in overall cases,” Africa CDC said in the news release.

The analysis by the World Health Organization (WHO) African office and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, also found that, in addition to the 19.5 million measles deaths averted, more than 500 million children in Africa have received routine immunizations from 2000 to 2024.

Africa has made remarkable progress in less than a generation, expanding immunization and saving millions of young lives.

As well, routine immunization schedules now protect against 13 vaccine-preventable diseases (up from eight in 2000), meningitis deaths have fallen by 39%, and the malaria vaccine has been introduced in 25 countries. The agency also notes that, in 2024 alone, at least 1.9 million lives were saved through vaccination—42% of which (about 800,000 lives) were attributed to measles vaccination.

Also, 47 sub-Saharan Africa countries now provide hepatitis B vaccine as part of routine immunization programs, with 16 nations providing a birth dose; 33 have introduced the rubella vaccine; and 29 countries offer the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, which protects against cervical and other cancers.

“Africa has made remarkable progress in less than a generation, expanding immunization and saving millions of young lives,” said Mohamed Janabi, MD, PhD, WHO regional director for Africa. “But the progress is uneven, and even slowing, leaving too many children unprotected as key targets are still missed. We must urgently strengthen routine immunization to leave no child behind.”