Two additional cases of measles have been confirmed in Sacramento County, bringing the total number of cases in the county to five, public health officials said. The children involved are unvaccinated, and they’re in isolation and recovering.
County health officials were notified of the new cases Wednesday, April 1, according to Sacramento County Public Health. Dr. Olivia Kasirye, Sacramento County public health officer, said the continued identification of measles cases in the community is concerning and shows how quickly the virus can spread. She also reminded residents these cases are preventable, adding that vaccination is the most important step people can take to protect themselves and others.
California reported its first confirmed measles outbreak since 2020 in February. The disease is highly contagious and, in 2025, infected 2,276 people nationwide, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. So far in 2026, the U.S. has confirmed 1,671 cases and 92% of those were unvaccinated. Misryoum newsroom reporting and analysis also points to experts framing the uptick as a warning sign: Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease specialist and professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, called the heightened spread a “canary in the coal mine” moment, suggesting multiple vaccine-preventable diseases are returning in the United States.
Measles spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes, and health officials describe it as “highly contagious.” In younger children—especially those under 5—measles can lead to serious complications, including pneumonia, “brain swelling, even blindness and death,” Chin-Hong said. The federal public health agency also said measles was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000, meaning continuous spread was stopped for longer than 12 months. But already, as of Feb. 26, 28 states have reported measles cases, and Misryoum editorial desk noted California is not immune to that wider pattern.
Why are cases rising? California Department of Public Health officials say about 90% of unvaccinated people who come in contact with measles will get sick. They also note the virus can live airborne in a room for up to two hours and only requires a small amount of particles to infect someone. Chin-Hong said measles rates are being driven by high transmission in other parts of the world alongside falling vaccination rates in the United States. He also mentioned cuts to public health funding and a wave of fake conspiracy theories that mislead people about vaccines.
Chin-Hong compared the situation to a bone-dry forest vulnerable to wildfires. “You just light a match and the whole thing goes ablaze,” he said. “That’s what happened in West Texas and New Mexico, and a little bit in Oklahoma.” He and other public health officials have also warned the country could lose measles elimination status by the end of 2025, and that if it does, there could be “more cases … more hospitalizations, more complications, more deaths potentially,” along with what he called a “psychological blow.”
For California, Misryoum editorial analysis indicates the state has seen measles activity this year: as of March 30, 34 confirmed measles cases had been reported in California so far in 2026, compared with 15 in 2024 and four in 2023, according to the California Department of Public Health. Counties reporting cases so far in 2026 include Los Angeles County, Napa County, Orange County, Placer County, Riverside County, Sacramento County, San Bernardino County, San Mateo County, Santa Clara County, and Shasta County.
As for Sacramento specifically, the key detail remains simple, even if it feels annoying to hear again and again—unvaccinated kids are the ones getting hit. Health experts say California has some of the strictest vaccine requirements in the country, and immunization rates are above the national average. In a 2023-24 report, the state public health department said 96.2% of kindergarten students at public schools received the shots, with an approximate threshold to prevent measles transmission of 95%. Still, Chin-Hong urged people not to get complacent because immunization rates have been gradually dipping.
Symptoms often start with a high fever, cough, runny nose and watery eyes, followed a few days later by tiny white spots inside the mouth and then a rash of small red spots that begins on the face and spreads to the rest of the body. Symptoms typically appear about seven to 14 days after exposure. Officials warn that measles can be more than “a little rash and fever that clears up in a few days,” and that complications can include ear infections and diarrhea, as well as pneumonia and encephalitis.
If you’re wondering how to protect yourself, the guidance is straightforward: the CDC says the best way is the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine. The federal health agency said the two-dose vaccine is safe and about 97% effective at preventing measles. Children can get vaccinated as early as 6 months old, with the CDC recommending one dose between ages 12 to 15 months and a second dose at 4 to 6 years old. Somewhere nearby in the real world, a cough in a waiting room can linger in the air—actually, it’s probably not that dramatic, but you get the point. Measles doesn’t wait.
