Seattle & King County distributed free MMR vaccines at a pop up clinic in response to a measles outbreak in nearby Snohomish County.
Mitch Borden/KNKX
Measles has been spreading in communities across the country, leading to a sharp increase in diagnoses. Over 1,300 people in the United States have been diagnosed with the disease since the start of 2026.
In Washington state, public health officials have reported at least 26 measles cases since the start of the year — more than double the number of cases found in the state in 2025. Measles cases have been found in four Washington counties, with the majority in Snohomish County. Most of the diagnoses have been in unvaccinated children.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, measles, mumps and rubella vaccination rates among kindergarteners have fallen in recent years. Community immunity against the measles is established when over 95% of people are vaccinated against the disease. In Washington, an estimated 91% of kindergarteners received their measles, mumps and rubella vaccine for the 2024-2025 school year.
Even though the Pan American Health Organization declared measles was eliminated in the U.S. in 2000, health officials now fear that the nation is on the brink of losing this status due to the rising number of cases. This comes as the Trump administration has supported policies that spread misinformation and limit access to vaccines.
Washington State Department of Health Officer Dr. Tao Sheng Kwan-Gett is urging residents to get the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine.
“MMR vaccine saves lives and is our best defense against measles,” he said in a news release. “Though measles was declared eliminated in the United States 26 years ago, we are seeing more and more cases linked to outbreaks in other states, particularly in families that are unvaccinated.”
The measles, mumps and rubella vaccine is recommended for children 12 months or older. Unvaccinated adults can also get these shots. Anyone born before 1957 is considered immune.
Bracing for more
Healthcare providers in Seattle are gearing up for the spread of measles to continue — especially with events like the 2026 FIFA World Cup on the horizon. The city is hosting six matches for the massive international soccer tournament in June, which could draw up to 750,000 visitors to the Puget Sound region.
Dr. Alex Greninger leads the Division of Infectious Disease Diagnostics in Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at UW Medicine. At a briefing last week at Harborview Medical Center, he said that as national vaccination rates lag and visitors come to Seattle, it’s very possible that more people will contract measles.
In anticipation of the World Cup and Seattle’s tourism season, UW Medicine’s virology lab is expanding its ability to test for measles.
“We know that there are going to be a lot of people that come to the city — people from areas that may not have as good vaccination coverage,” Greninger said. “We have to be ready, and we have to offer that testing to be ready for what’s coming, as well as just the fact that the vaccination levels aren’t getting better.”
Measles is extremely contagious and can be dangerous, especially for babies and young children. Common symptoms include coughing, high fever and a body rash, but it can lead to serious complications including pneumonia and encephalitis, as well as death.
In the past, UW Medicine has relied on state labs to test for measles. However, Greninger and his colleagues are working to set up UW Medicine machines so clinicians can easily access measles testing.
“Sometimes there’s a hypothesis you just want to test, and we should be testing,” he said. “One of the challenges that public health has is that they really have to offer their testing around these epidemiological criteria most of the time.”
Free and low-cost measles, mumps and rubella vaccines are available through the state’s childhood and adult vaccine programs. These shots are also covered through Washington’s Medicaid program, Apple Health.
People may be able to look up their vaccination records on the MyIRMobile records portal, which is recommended by the Washington State Department of Health.
Mitch Borden is a reporter with KNKX. This story comes to you from the Northwest News Network, a collaboration between public media organizations in Oregon and Washington.
It is part of OPB’s broader effort to ensure that everyone in our region has access to quality journalism that informs, entertains and enriches their lives. To learn more, visit our journalism partnerships page.
