Officials: Unvaccinated Hartford County Adult Is State’s First Measles Case Of 2026

by Donald Eng

An unvaccinated Hartford County adult has been diagnosed with measles, the state’s first confirmed case of 2026. Nationally, there have been 2,073 measles cases this year, putting the nation on track to exceed last year’s total of 2,288 measles cases, which was the most in three decades.

Measles had been declared eliminated in the United States in 2000 but has seen a resurgence primarily due to declining vaccination rates.

The Connecticut resident recently travelled internationally and began showing symptoms of measles after returning. The international travel was not associated with the World Cup. Their symptoms included fever, sore throat, cough, runny nose, diarrhea and rash. The adult is hospitalized in stable condition. It was not immediately clear if there were other people potentially exposed, including shool-aged children.

Measles is a highly contagious disease that can spread quickly through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes, according to DPH. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 9 out of 10 unvaccinated individuals who encounter an infected person will become infected with the measles virus. Measles can be dangerous, especially for children under the age of five. About 1 in 5 unvaccinated people in the U.S. who get measles end up being hospitalized.

Symptoms of measles generally begin 7-14 days after exposure to an infected person. A typical case of measles begins with mild to moderate fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes (conjunctivitis), and sore throat. Three to five days after the start of these symptoms, a red or reddish-brown rash appears, usually starting on a person’s face at the hairline and spreading downward to the entire body. At the time the rash appears, a person’s fever may spike to more than 104 degrees Fahrenheit.

“Vaccination continues to be the best way to protect yourself and your family from measles,” said DPH Commissioner Manisha Juthani. “One dose of measles vaccine is about 93 percent effective, while two doses are about 97 percent effective. Being vaccinated helps us all protect those who matter most.”

State Sen. Saud Anwar, D-South Windsor, a physician and member of the Public Health Committee, agreed.

“Measles is preventable, and this case is a reminder of what happens when we let our guard down on vaccination,” Anwar said. “Connecticut has maintained strong vaccination rates, and that is precisely why we have been one of the last states in New England to see a case this year. But no community is immune when measles is circulating nationally and internationally at the levels we are seeing right now.

DPH, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and several other reputable public health and medical societies recommend that all people get two doses of MMR vaccine, starting with the first dose at 12- through 15-months of age, and the second dose at 4 through 6 years of age.

According to the 2024-25 Statewide School Immunization Survey, 98.2 percent of Connecticut students were vaccinated with 2 doses of MMR by kindergarten entry, compared to 92.5 percent nationally. Connecticut’s MMR vaccination rate is the highest in the nation.

Last year, Connecticut’s first case of measles in four years resulted in parents of unvaccinated children at a Trumbull religious school being told to keep unvaccinated children home from school for three weeks.

For more information about Connecticut school immunization data, click here.