Some 970 measles cases have been confirmed between January 1 and August 17, 2026, surpassing the 960 confirmed cases in 2025.
A report from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) revealed that 2026 measles activity increased from February and peaked at 215 cases in May.
There were 153 cases in June, before a significant drop to 50 in July.
Read more: NPA calls for pharmacy measles vaccinations amid outbreak
Over half of all confirmed cases occurred in London, with 11% of the 970 instances reported in Enfield. Birmingham had 8% of total cases and Hertfordshire had 6%.
Children under the age of ten made up 61% of all 970 confirmed cases, with the age groups one to four and five to ten seeing the most measles occurrences in all areas of the country.
Figures “likely to underestimate activity”
Since July 20, some 18 confirmed cases of measles have been reported, though the government believes this figure is “likely to underestimate activity” due to “data reporting lags” which particularly impact the last four weeks of data.
In 2024, England had 2,911 confirmed measles cases, the highest annual number since 2012.
It comes after a campaign was launched by NHS England last month, calling for parents to have their children vaccinated with the new “four-in-one” MMR/V jab, which protects against measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (chickenpox).
And it follows pharmacies being used to signpost the measles vaccination following a March outbreak of the virus in Enfield.
