By Christine Sexton, Florida Phoenix
In Summary:
Florida has reported 140 measles cases as of mid-March, with new infections primarily affecting teenagers in Collier County. State and federal data show the vast majority of cases are linked to unvaccinated or under-vaccinated individuals. As cases increase, the issue is intersecting with ongoing policy debates over school vaccine requirements in Florida.
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The number of measles cases in Florida climbed to 140 as of March 14, with seven additional cases disclosed to the Florida Department of Health in the last reporting week.
Six of the new cases are in Collier County, among people ages 15 to 19. The seventh case involves a Broward County child under age four, DOH data show. Including the additional seven cases, there have been 16 reported measles infections through March 14, the latest available data.
Related: We study pandemics, and the resurgence of measles is a grim sign of what’s coming.
The 140 measles infections run the gamut age-wise, with reported cases ranging from the birth-to-four age cohort through the 60-64 demographic. The 15-19 age group had the most reported infections, with 59 cases, followed by the 20-24 age group with 45 cases.
Measles (rubeola) is a highly contagious respiratory virus. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, if one person has measles, up to 90% of people nearby who aren’t protected will become infected.
The CDC says the best way to protect against measles is with the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. Two doses of the MMR vaccine are about 97% effective at preventing measles; one dose is about 93% effective.
Nationwide, the CDC reports there were 1,487 measles cases as of March 20, with 74 requiring hospitalization. The majority (92%) of the measles cases occurred in unvaccinated people. Another 4% occurred in people who weren’t fully vaccinated. Still another 4% were reported in fully vaccinated people.
Measles is a required vaccine for Florida school children. Gov. Ron DeSantis's administration wants to make it easier for parents to opt out of mandatory school vaccines. While the Legislature refused to endorse DeSantis’ proposal in the 2026 session, the governor has said he remains committed to seeing the policy become law before he's term limited out of office in January.
Of the 140 total reported measles cases, 124 are confirmed.
Most (71%) of the 140 reported infections were acquired in Florida, although two were acquired outside the United States and six were acquired in other states.
Thirty-two measles infections are of “unknown” acquired status. Of those, 25 are from Collier, which leads the state with 104 reported measles cases. That’s followed by Duval and Pinellas counties, each with six reported cases.
The DOH data come from the Bureau of Epidemiology and Merlin, the name of Florida’s web-based reportable disease surveillance system. Cases are assigned to Florida counties based on a person’s residence at the time the infection was reported, and not where they became ill or were hospitalized.
Meanwhile, the CDC reports that Florida had 122 measles cases as of March 20. The CDC data only includes confirmed measles cases. CDC data show that Florida ranks fourth in the nation in the number of infections. With 668 infections, South Carolina leads the nation in measles cases, followed by Utah and Texas, with 275 and 147 infections, respectively.
Key Points:
- Florida has reported 140 measles cases, with seven new infections in the latest update
- Six new cases are in Collier County teens; one involves a child under four in Broward County
- The 15–19 age group has the highest number of infections (59 cases)
- About 92% of U.S. measles cases are in unvaccinated individuals, according to the CDC
- Florida ranks fourth nationally in measles cases, behind South Carolina, Utah, and Texas
