July 27,
2026  

Number
of
U.S.
Measles
Cases
Already
Tops
2025’s
Total
Number
of
Illnesses

Texas
physicians
have
an
important
message
for
parents
as
the
new
school
year
is
about
to
begin:
Ensure
your
children
are
current
on
all
their
necessary
vaccinations.

Their
message
comes
as
the
country
faces

the
highest
number
of
measles
cases
in
more
than
30
years.
This
year
2,318
measles
cases
have
been
reported
in
the
U.S.
thus
far,
already
exceeding
the
total
number
of
cases
in
all
of
2025,
according
to

the
Centers
for
Disease
Control
and
Prevention.
Texans
are
among
people
in
the
45
jurisdictions
nationwide
who
have
gotten
sick
with
measles.

During
last
year’s
measles
outbreak
in
West
Texas
–
at
that
point

the
worst
in
three
decades –
more
than
94%
of
those
affected
were
not
known
to
be
vaccinated
against
the
highly
infectious
disease.

“Vaccinations
help
keep
your
child
healthy
and
help
keep
the
rest
of
the
classroom
and
school
healthy
too,”
said
Hector
Ocaranza,
MD,
chair
of
the
Texas
Medical
Association
(TMA)
Council
on
Science
and
Public
Health.

Dr.
Ocaranza
said
when
children
get
their
shots,
they
also
help
defend
those
who
are
immunocompromised
or
too
young
to
be
vaccinated
against
preventable
diseases.

Texas
Department
of
State
Health
Services
(DSHS)
data show
the
number
of
kindergarteners
vaccinated
with
the
measles,
mumps,
and
rubella
(MMR)
vaccine
increased
slightly
–
0.06%
–
to
93.30%
in
the
2025-26
school
year.
However,
the
number
of
seventh-graders
vaccinated
with
the
MMR
vaccine
declined
0.12%
in
the
same
time
frame.

DSHS
says the
best
way
to
defend
against
getting
sick
with
measles
is
to
be
immunized
with
two
doses
of
the
MMR
vaccine,
which
is
one
of
the
required
vaccines
for
children
in
school.
See
the

full
list
of
required
vaccines
here.

“The
greatest
success
of
vaccines
is
that
parents
do
not
see
diseases
anymore
that
we
have
been
able
to
prevent,”
said
Dr.
Ocaranza.
In
the
U.S.,
diseases
like
polio
have
been

eradicated because
of
the
widespread
use
of
effective

vaccines.

Dr.
Ocaranza
acknowledges
parents
might
have
questions
or
concerns.
“Tell
your
doctor
about
your
doubts,
your
fears.
We
as
parents
want
to
protect
our
children,”
he
said,
welcoming
discussions
with
parents.

“If
you
have
any
questions
or
if
you
read
something
online,
talk
to
your
physician,”
he
said.
“They
can
translate
science
into
something
that
is
very
easily
understandable.”

TMA is
the
largest
state
medical
society
in
the
nation,
representing
more
than
60,000
physician
and
medical
student
members.
It
is
located
in
Austin
and
has
110
component
county
medical
societies
around
the
state.
TMA’s
key
objective
since
1853
is
to
improve
the
health
of
all
Texans.

-30-

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medical
and
legal
disclaimer

TMA
Contacts:  Brent
Annear
(512)
370-1381;
cell:
(512)
656-7320;
email:

brent.annear@texmed.org

Swathi
Narayanan
(512)
370-1382;
cell:
(408)
987-1318;
email:

swathi.narayanan@texmed.org

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