Washington (United States) (AFP) - The United States has recorded 5,000 cases of measles this year, the highest number in more than three decades of this serious and contagious disease, according to official data published on Friday.

First modification: 06/11/2026 - 18:57

Since the beginning of 2026, there have been 5,182 confirmed cases in the country, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the main public health agency.

Health authorities in several states reported at least eight deaths related to this disease since the beginning of the year, including those of young children.

The United States declared measles eradicated in 2000 thanks to vaccination.

But in recent years vaccination rates in the country have fallen. The current Secretary of Health, Robert Kennedy Jr., is known for his skeptical positions regarding vaccines.

Kennedy Jr. has also spread false information about the measles vaccine on several occasions and has minimized the severity of the disease.

Measles causes fever, respiratory symptoms, and skin rashes. In severe cases it can cause pneumonia and encephalitis, with serious consequences or even death.

Before the vaccine was developed in the early 1960s, measles killed hundreds of children in the United States each year.

© 2026 AFP

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