Measles is a highly contagious virus spread through the air and direct contact which is very common among children. According to the World Health Organization, "in 2024, there were an estimated 95 000 measles deaths globally, mostly among unvaccinated or under vaccinated children under the age of 5 years."
In 2026, Michigan confirmed it's first measles outbreak in Washtenaw county. With more confirmed cases reported and expected to increase as the year goes on.
2026 Measles cases
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Michigan For Vaccines, a new coalition of pro-vaccination health organizations, hopes to reverse the trend of falling vaccination rates in the state.
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KFF Health News
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Macomb County is reporting its first measles case of 2026. The report comes days after Ottawa County confirmed its first measles case of the year. -
State health leaders are adjusting their vaccination guidance in response to measles outbreaks in Southeast Michigan. Also, how a shortage of psychiatric beds for young people forces families to rely on out-of-state options. -
The Washtenaw County Health Department says the most recent case is an unvaccinated child who was a close contact of the state's first case of 2026, reported on March 11. -
Michigan’s Department of Health and Human Services has confirmed a measles outbreak in Washtenaw County, with four known linked cases. -
The Washtenaw County Health Department says the first case is a person who was not vaccinated and had recently traveled to Florida where they probably contracted the virus.
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The second confirmed case of measles in Oakland County this year could have exposed people at the DMC Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital’s emergency department on Sunday, December 7.
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We learned about the increase in measles cases in Windsor, an invasive species from the Great Lakes wreaking havoc in Japan, what’s behind the “muck” in Lake St. Clair, how wealth inequality destabilizes the world, and indigenous traditions for harvesting wild rice in Michigan.
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No public exposure sites have been identified yet, health officials said, in an outbreak that has been "brewing since late June."
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At a time when the state is seeing a surge in vaccine-preventable illnesses in kids, the state's trying to figure out why more parents are delaying or skipping vaccines. -
After going a decade without a single measles case, Kent County has recorded two in 2025.
