CDC scientists’ urgent alert on measles in pregnancy stalls as cases top 4,800

Federal health scientists sought to warn doctors about the risks of measles during pregnancy, but the urgent alert has not been approved amid internal conflict, The Washington Post reported, as U.S. cases hit a 35-year high.

Scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention sought to issue an urgent alert warning doctors about the risks of measles during pregnancy, but the alert has not been approved, The Washington Post reported.

According to the Post, which cited five people familiar with the discussions, it remains unclear how quickly the information will reach clinicians and where it will be published amid internal conflict. The report could fill major gaps about a condition doctors have rarely seen for decades.

The CDC has confirmed 4,852 measles cases so far in 2026, by far the highest yearly total in 35 years, according to the University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP). The country recorded 2,289 cases in all of 2025.

Chart showing the contagious period of measles around the onset of the rash

Pennsylvania has been hit hardest, with 1,426 cases, including 493 in Lancaster County. State health officials warned earlier this week of congenital measles as the outbreak spread to pregnant women. Wisconsin, Ohio, Kentucky and New York have also reported large outbreaks.

About 96% of this year’s cases have been in people who were unvaccinated or whose vaccination status is unknown. Pennsylvania has reported five measles deaths this year, and a sixth death in the state is under investigation.

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