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Georgia Confirms Second 2026 Measles Case as U.S. Surge Intensifies

Falling MMR coverage is fueling wider community spread that jeopardizes the nation’s measles-elimination status.

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A signage stands outside a South Carolina Department of Public Health Mobile Health Unit in Spartanburg, South Carolina, U.S., February 6, 2026. REUTERS/Jayla Whitfield-Anderson
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For 2025, more than 2,000 confirmed measles cases were reported in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As of Feb. 19, 2026, nearly 1,000 confirmed measles cases already have been reported since the new year.

Overview

  • Georgia’s Department of Public Health confirmed measles in an unvaccinated Bryan County resident who recently traveled out of state with no international travel history.
  • State officials are notifying potential contacts, urging MMR vaccination, and advising anyone with symptoms to call ahead before seeking care because the virus can linger in air or on surfaces for up to two hours.
  • CDC data show 982 U.S. measles cases reported as of February 19, marking an unusually rapid rise early in the year.
  • South Carolina’s outbreak reached 979 cases on Tuesday, with 913 unvaccinated, at least 91 people in quarantine, and outside specialists assisting the response, according to state data reported by Reuters.
  • Fresh exposure alerts were issued in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, and in Kingston, Canada, while travel-linked cases and venue warnings were reported in New Zealand and Sydney, underscoring ongoing seeding through travel.