Measles cases continue to increase in Florida.
As public health experts work to investigate the already reported infections, the virus continues to spread throughout the state.
"The problem here is that if you're unvaccinated, your chances of getting infected are just going up and up and up year over year as we go into this new world of dealing with measles, again," said Cindy Prins, an epidemiologist at the University of Central Florida.
Florida's vaccination rate for the measles remains below the recommended threshold of 95%.
The Florida Department of Health has reported 124 cases since the start of the year. It's the third-highest number of cases in the country. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, South Carolina has 653 and Utah has 149.
In the state's public records of reportable diseases, Florida's 2026 measles total makes up more than a third of the total cases the state has reported since 1992 – a total of 346 cases.
"Considering that there is a very effective vaccine for measles, it was rare to see measles cases in Florida years ago," Prins said.
Nationwide, there have been 1,136 reported cases this year, CDC data show. That's almost half of the total number of cases observed in 2025 (2,281). It's also a far cry from the near elimination of cases America reported in 2000, when it first received its "measles-elimination" status.
An international panel had invited the U.S. to an April meeting to discuss whether the current outbreaks would remove the country's status, but the meeting was rescheduled to November.
Experts believe the case total will continue to increase.
"This is really concerning," Prins said. "It's just we don't have that collective memory of what cases of measles are like, and no one wants to see their child sick. But measles can go beyond sick; measles can get really, really serious."
What is measles?
Measles is a highly contagious airborne disease. It spreads through coughing and breathing. The virus can hang in the air for about two hours after an infected person has been in a room.
The disease is characterized by the three "C's": coughing, coryza (a runny nose), and conjunctivitis (red and watery eyes). It can also lead to a high fever and a rash that sometimes takes the form of tiny white spots inside the mouth.
How contagious is measles?
"Very," Prins said. "For people who are not vaccinated, about nine out of 10 people who get exposed will get infected with measles.
Prins said it's possible for a vaccinated person to get infected, though the odds are much lower, three out of 100 people. Vaccinated patients will also experience less severe symptoms.
According to the CDC, the ideal vaccination rate for a population to reach herd immunity from measles is 95%. However, Florida's vaccination rate has fallen over the years to 88% of kindergarteners who received the MMR vaccine.
The CDC says that the falling vaccine rate is to blame for the spread of measles across the country. As the global presence of measles also increases, there are greater chances of an unvaccinated person infected with measles abroad returning to the U.S.
While it's recommended for children to receive the MMR vaccine and its booster before turning 6-years old, anyone can get vaccinated at any stage of life at a retail pharmacy, Prins said.
Where is measles spreading in Florida? And who is getting it?
The majority of cases have occurred in Collier County, with 93 cases reported as of the end of February. Sixty-five were locally acquired – meaning the infection did not come from travel. Additionally, most of the cases have infected kids and young adults between the ages of 15 and 24, with about 81 confirmed and probable cases in that age group.
Measles has been reported around the state, with most metro areas reporting at least one case, except for Central Florida. That surprises Prins due to the presence of Orlando International Airport, one of the busiest airports in the country.
"I don't think there's anything magical about Central Florida. I think you know right now, we've just been lucky, and unfortunately. I expect that at some point, we will have cases as well," Prins said.
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