Key Takeaway:
- Oregon measles cases total 50 confirmed cases in 2026, the highest since the disease was eliminated in 2000.
- Falling vaccination rates and vaccine misinformation are contributing to the rise, with kindergarten vaccination coverage at 85.6%.
- Health officials urge vaccination and caution, especially after exposure, because measles spreads easily and can cause serious illness.
Oregon measles cases have reached 50 in 2026, the highest annual total since the disease was eliminated nationally in 2000, as declining vaccination rates fuel renewed transmission.
Oregon measles cases rise across the state
The Oregon Health Authority said the 50 Oregon measles cases mark the state’s highest annual total since 1991, when Oregon recorded 93 cases. Two people have been hospitalized this year.
OHA reported new potential exposure sites Sept. 1 at Randall Children’s Hospital in Portland and Legacy Mount Hood Medical Center in Gresham. Health officials urged people who visited the sites during specified times to check their vaccination records and watch for symptoms.
Oregon reported its first measles case of the year in January. At least one case has been reported during every month since, according to Jonathan Modie, an OHA spokesperson.
“The risk of seeing the return of diseases such as measles … is much greater,” Modie said, describing measles as a preventable disease that once caused widespread harm.
The state recorded 93 cases in 1991, followed by much lower totals in the late 1990s. Oregon reported no cases in 1997 and 1998 before recording 11 in 1999, according to historical OHA data.
Vaccination rates continue to fall
Modie attributed the rise in Oregon measles cases partly to declining vaccination rates and online misinformation about vaccines. He also pointed to rising nonmedical exemptions from school vaccination requirements.
For the 2025-26 school year, 10.9% of Oregon kindergarteners had nonmedical exemptions, up from 6.9% in 2021-22. Only 85.6% of kindergarteners were up to date on required vaccines, down from 88.4% in 2021-22, according to OHA figures cited by the agency.
Oregon’s vaccination coverage remains below the level generally needed to prevent sustained measles transmission. OHA data identify a non-household outbreak involving Clackamas and Multnomah counties that began April 11.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says measles is among the most contagious diseases. Up to nine in 10 people without immunity can become infected after close contact with someone who has measles.
Health officials urge vaccination
Health officials say vaccination remains the best protection against measles. The CDC recommends two doses of the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine for children, with two doses about 97% effective at preventing measles.
Measles typically begins with fever, cough, runny nose, and red, watery eyes. A rash usually follows, beginning on the face and spreading across the body, according to the CDC.
People who develop symptoms after a possible exposure should call a health care provider before arriving at a medical facility, OHA said. This allows medical staff to take steps to prevent exposing other patients and workers.
The CDC also advises people with suspected measles to stay home and avoid contact with people who are not sick.
