Measles cases in Indiana have risen to 153, according to the Indiana Department of Health, as the United States records 5,182 confirmed cases so far in 2026 - more than double the total for all of last year.

On 8 October, only 29 people had been sickened by measles in Indiana. As of Tuesday, the number had risen to 153 confirmed cases across more than 20 counties, a rise of more than 400 percent in just over a month.

Where cases are concentrated

LaGrange County in north-east Indiana has the most cases, with 36, followed by Adams and Wayne counties with 19 each and Allen County with 15. Health officials link the spread to low vaccination rates: the MMR vaccination rate among kindergarteners in LaGrange County stands at 74 percent, according to state health department data.

Nationally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says 5,182 confirmed measles cases were reported in the United States as of 5 November, across 47 jurisdictions. That compares with 2,289 cases in the whole of 2025. The CDC says 96 percent of this year's cases are linked to outbreaks, with 43 outbreaks reported in 2026.

Hospitals step up screening

Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis has begun screening all visitors for measles, the first time it has done so for the disease. Visitors and patients have been screened since 2 November, with questions about symptoms including high fever, cough, a runny nose and a rash.

"Because Riley Hospital for Children cares for some of the most medically fragile and vulnerable kids in the state - including infants who are too young for the MMR vaccine and immunocompromised children - these precautions add a vital layer of defense," said hospital spokesperson Katie Oakley.

No measles-related deaths have been reported in Indiana as of 9 November. Outside the state, eight measles deaths have been reported this year, according to ABC News: six in Pennsylvania, one in New York and one in Wisconsin.

Health officials say the MMR vaccine is the best protection against the disease. Two doses are 97 percent effective, according to Indiana University Health. National MMR coverage among US kindergarteners has fallen from 95.2 percent in the 2019-20 school year to 92.4 percent in 2025-26, the CDC reports, leaving more than 280,000 children at risk.