The Washington State Department of Health says there have been 26 confirmed cases of measles in 2026, which is more than double the amount in 2025 at 12 cases.
24 cases this year were in people who were unvaccinated, with 2 listed as having an unknown vaccination status, according to the Department of Health.
Most of those cases appeared in those 5 to 17 years old, WDOH says.
Officials with UW Medicine held a media availability on Wednesday amid the alarming rise in cases, saying numbers may continue to rise with the World Cup and summer influx of visitors to western Washington.
Nationwide, the U.S. has surpassed 1,100 measles cases in 2026.
Health officials say the most effective way to prevent further spread of measles an MMR vaccine.
Measles is highly contagious and symptoms include high fever, cough and runny nose which usually appear 7-21 days after being exposed, WDOH says.
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