Oct 19, 2026
Franklin County coroner confirmed Pennsylvania's sixth measles-related death on Monday, as the state experiences the nation's worst ongoing measles outbreak with over 1,000 cases—the first U.S. outbreak to exceed that threshold since 1991.
Governor Kathy Hochul issued an executive order declaring a state of emergency in response to rising measles cases across New York state, as infections skyrocket nationwide with Pennsylvania reporting over 1,000 cases in its largest outbreak in decades.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul issued an executive order declaring a state disaster emergency in response to a growing measles outbreak, with 108 cases reported as of October 3, 2026—the most since 2019. The declaration, the first such U.S. state emergency since cases began surging in 2025, aims to strengthen the state's response to rising infections concentrated in rural areas.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health confirmed 1,004 measles cases across 39 counties in 2026, surpassing South Carolina's 997 cases earlier this year to become the largest U.S. outbreak in three decades. Health officials continue urging vaccination, which is 97% effective after two doses, as they brace for potential further spread beyond the outbreak's center.
Pennsylvania health officials reported a fifth measles-associated death and 943 total cases as the state faces its worst outbreak in over 35 years. The unvaccinated person died in Lancaster County amid the nation's largest ongoing measles outbreak.
In her first public speaking event as CDC director, Erica Schwartz, MD, JD, MPH, made rebuilding public trust and transparency her top priorities. Schwartz is the first Black woman to lead the CDC.
President Trump announced he will demand pharmaceutical companies separate combined vaccines into individual doses, one day after Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told an anti-vaccine conference that vaccine skeptics have a 'friend at the White House.'
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. delivered a keynote address at a conference hosted by the anti-vaccine organization he founded, telling attendees they have "a friend at the White House" and renewing attacks on vaccine safety.
Pennsylvania health officials confirmed four measles-associated deaths this year, including two additional fatalities announced recently. This brings the US total to the highest level in decades amid a nationwide outbreak that has reached approximately 3,300 cases.
CDC Director Erica Schwartz has been notably absent from public communication just one month into her tenure, as the country enters respiratory virus season with unclear guidance on COVID-19, flu, and RSV vaccines amid a worsening measles epidemic.
The Federal Teaching Hospital Katsina reports its children's ward has exceeded capacity due to an influx of suspected and confirmed diphtheria cases. State officials are preparing to brief the public on the outbreak's scale and response measures, though case and death figures have not yet been disclosed.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told CDC staff that the U.S. would have done better in the Covid outbreak by listening to alternative voices, speaking at a memorial for last year's shooting at the agency.
Maternal mortality rates have doubled in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo as pregnant women avoid healthcare facilities due to fear and misinformation about the country's worst-ever Ebola outbreak, which has recorded over 3,600 cases as of late July 2026.
The Trump administration announced it will immediately release $600 million in congressionally appropriated funds for Gavi, the global vaccine alliance serving the world's poorest countries. The funds had been withheld due to unsubstantiated safety concerns raised by U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced it is investigating a new outbreak of cyclosporiasis involving 72 reported cases. The source of the parasitic infection, which causes severe gastrointestinal illness, has not yet been identified and is separate from previously recalled lettuce.
Michigan health officials reported 3,309 cases of cyclosporiasis on Tuesday, an increase of 669 cases since Monday, with the parasitic illness outbreak resulting in 44 hospitalizations. The diarrhea-causing infection is part of a broader outbreak affecting 31 states.
The Trump administration announced it is preventing American citizens in the Democratic Republic of Congo from traveling directly to the U.S. on commercial flights, requiring them to spend 21 days elsewhere first. The decision follows an Ebola outbreak that has caused at least 1,830 confirmed cases and 648 deaths in Congo, including one confirmed case involving a U.S. citizen working for a humanitarian organization.
Four out of five new Ebola cases in Democratic Republic of Congo have no known link to existing patients, according to WHO officials, while Africa's top public health agency describes it as the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak on record with response efforts unable to keep pace.
Michigan health officials reported 992 confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis, an intestinal illness caused by a parasite, since June 22, as part of a broader outbreak affecting multiple states across the country.
Scientists have initiated a study on Ebola treatments in response to a worsening outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The research effort comes as health authorities work to contain the spread of the deadly virus.
An Ebola outbreak caused by Bundibugyo virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo has reached 1,203 confirmed cases with 321 deaths, and has spread to Uganda. Researchers warn of a nearly 70% probability of cross-border transmission to South Sudan within 12 weeks, while aid organizations attribute the outbreak's severity to decades of infrastructure and development failures in the region.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention announced Thursday that funding needed to combat the continent's Ebola outbreak has tripled to $1.4 billion, while the Trump administration simultaneously seeks matching funds from Congress amid concerns over delayed foreign aid spending.
The Office of Management and Budget has proposed rule changes requiring political review of federal scientific grants, while a separate proposal would establish a new science office at the CDC that could give political appointees greater control over agency information and research.
The United States has recorded over 2,000 confirmed measles cases in 2026, marking the second year in a row that the country has exceeded this threshold, according to CDC data updated June 5th showing 2,030 cases so far this year.
Senator Bill Cassidy, Republican chair of the Senate health committee, blamed the Trump administration's vaccine-skeptical policies for recent measles deaths in Pennsylvania during a confirmation hearing for surgeon general nominee Dr. Nicole Saphier. Cassidy pressed Saphier to state that vaccines do not cause autism and to distance herself from HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s anti-vaccine positions, which she declined to fully do.
A 9-year-old boy contracted measles during a family visit to Seminole, Texas in early 2025, then returned to Mexico where the disease spread rapidly among his classmates, ultimately forcing their school to shut down.
The Virginia Department of Health officially declared a measles outbreak in Buckingham County on May 13, 2026, after identifying 12 cases. Health officials warn there are likely more cases to come.
A hantavirus outbreak affecting multiple European countries has led to a protocol breach at a Dutch hospital and a new confirmed case in Spain, following the evacuation of passengers from a disease-stricken cruise ship. The WHO director stated there is no sign of a larger outbreak.
Seventeen American passengers from a cruise ship experiencing a hantavirus outbreak have been repatriated to a quarantine center in Nebraska. One passenger tested positive for the Andes virus and another began showing symptoms during the flight, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.
Colorado is charting an independent course on vaccine promotion as the federal government reduces its public health role, with public health advocates and residents starting a public conversation about vaccine importance.
NBC News reports that a flight attendant who served passengers from the MV Hondius cruise ship has tested negative for hantavirus, easing fears of broader transmission. However, a new suspected case has emerged on a remote island, and officials continue monitoring potentially exposed passengers across multiple states.
The New York Times reports that Trump administration cuts to infectious disease research funding and staffing, including disease detectives, have compromised U.S. preparedness for the ongoing hantavirus cruise ship outbreak. The CDC's response is being led by its Global Migration Health division as seven states prepare to receive potentially exposed passengers.
Health officials under Robert F. Kennedy Jr. explored banning certain SSRI antidepressants as part of plans to reduce their use in the United States, sparking significant debate over medication safety and federal regulatory authority.
A luxury cruise ship experiencing a hantavirus outbreak has been permitted by Spanish authorities to sail from Cape Verde to the Canary Islands, with three infected or suspected patients evacuated and nearly 150 people remaining isolated in their cabins. Swiss authorities confirmed a third case linked to the vessel.
Health officials confirmed measles cases in multiple California infants, including a 7-month-old in Orange County, a graduate student in Los Angeles County, and San Francisco's first case since 2019. The infants were too young to be vaccinated, raising concerns about protecting vulnerable children during the ongoing outbreak.
President Donald Trump announced Thursday he is nominating Dr. Nicole Saphier, a radiologist and former Fox News contributor, for surgeon general after Dr. Casey Means' nomination stalled in the Senate over concerns about her experience and vaccine stance.
The Department of Health and Human Services has filed an appeal against a court ruling that halted many of RFK Jr.'s vaccine policy changes, marking the latest development in the lawsuit filed by the American Association of Pediatrics.
The federal autism committee met for the first time since HHS Secretary Kennedy fired most scientific experts and replaced them with activists and advocates, focusing on 'profound autism.'
Largest measles outbreak in recent U.S. history has been officially declared over after sustained decline in new cases and containment of transmission chains, marking a key public health milestone while underscoring ongoing risks tied to vaccination gaps.
Health Secretary RFK Jr. declared a public health emergency for Hawaii in response to severe weather events, providing federal healthcare providers and suppliers greater flexibility to meet emergency needs of Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries in the affected areas.
Utah’s measles outbreak has reached 602 cases, with the majority reported in 2026, contributing significantly to a nationwide surge of 1,748 cases across multiple states, with most infections occurring among unvaccinated or unknown-status individuals.
The CDC has issued a public health alert about increasing cases of extensively drug-resistant (XDR) Shigella bacteria in the United States. The proportion of XDR Shigella isolates has risen significantly from 2011-2015 to 2023, with the infection causing severe diarrhea and posing treatment challenges.
The UK government published its first national guidance on screen time for children, recommending no screen time for children under two (except video calls) and a maximum of one hour daily for ages two to five.
Health experts and international organizations have declared the rapid withdrawal of US international health aid a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC), with warnings of severe consequences for global health facilities and services.