In Summary:
Florida health officials have reported 150 suspected and confirmed measles cases this year, while national cases have surged past 1,800. The rise comes as vaccination rates in Florida and across the country remain below the 95% threshold public health experts say is needed to prevent outbreaks. Federal health officials continue urging travelers to ensure they are vaccinated against measles before international travel this summer.
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As summer vacations approach and travel opportunities increase, measles cases in Florida and across the United States continue to rise.
Florida Department of Health data show that between the start of the year and May 1, 150 suspected and confirmed measles cases were reported to state health officials.
Related: Measles outbreak shapes Florida’s vaccine debate as lawmakers clash in special session.
Fourteen of Florida’s 67 counties have reported confirmed or suspected measles cases.
Collier County has 107 reported cases, more than any other county. Measles began spreading in the county in late January at Ave Maria University, a Roman Catholic college. There have been no new measles cases in that county for the past three weeks. Nearly every measles case in Collier County was spread locally — just three were categorized as “imported.”
About 40% of the Florida cases are in the 15- to 19-year-old age cohort, but people of all ages have been infected, the data show.
Measles vaccines were first introduced in the United States in March 1963. Thirty-seven years later, the disease was eliminated from the United States.
Elimination doesn’t mean there were no cases; it means there were no domestically contracted cases for more than 12 months. But there’s been a resurgence of measles outbreaks amid growing skepticism about the safety of vaccines.
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Florida Department of Health Secretary Joseph Ladapo are both vaccine skeptics. Ladapo, whose boss is Gov. Ron DeSantis, likened mandatory vaccines to “slavery” last year and announced plans to eliminate all vaccine mandates from Florida statutes.
But he hasn’t been able to get his plan — which targets mandatory school vaccines only — through the Republican Legislature.
DeSantis has vowed to continue his efforts on the vaccine front before being term-limited out of office next January.
At least 95% of the population needs to be vaccinated to keep the disease under control, which is HHS’s Healthy People 2030 goal. But just 10 states reported coverage levels of 95% or higher in 2024-2025, according to the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Just 89% of Florida children entering kindergarten in the 2024-25 academic year had been vaccinated.
Measles is a highly contagious virus that spreads through coughing and sneezing. Symptoms include a red, bumpy rash, high fever, cough, runny nose, and red, watery eyes.
Measles can lead to serious complications, such as pneumonia, encephalitis (or swelling of the brain), and even death. There were three measles-related deaths nationally in 2025. No deaths have been reported this year.
Nationwide, there have been 1,842 confirmed measles cases, according to data published Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. South Carolina leads the nation with 669 cases, followed by Utah with 439 and Texas with 182. Florida has the fourth-highest number of confirmed measles cases, according to the CDC’s data, which includes only confirmed cases and is based on data through May 1.
CDC data shows Florida has had 135 confirmed cases as of May 7. The CDC also reports there have been 25 new outbreaks in 2026. Outbreaks are defined as three or more related cases.
The United States is not alone in seeing a rise in measles cases. Most measles infections in the United States are contracted internationally, according to the CDC. Given the tandem of rising infections and declining vaccination rates, the CDC issued a Level 1 travel advisory last summer recommending that international travelers be fully vaccinated against measles.
“The best way to protect yourself and your loved ones is by getting the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. If you haven’t been vaccinated or don’t know your vaccination status you should plan to be vaccinated before traveling internationally,” the CDC said.
Key Points:
- Florida has reported 150 suspected and confirmed measles cases in 2026.
- Collier County accounts for 107 cases, largely linked to an outbreak at Ave Maria University.
- Nationwide, the CDC has confirmed 1,842 measles cases and 25 outbreaks this year.
- Public health officials say vaccination rates remain below recommended levels in many states, including Florida.
- The CDC continues advising international travelers to confirm they are vaccinated against measles before traveling.
