Measles cases surge in US as it considers vaccine changes
Health experts say measles cases are rising in the U.S. and around the world and coincide with lower vaccination rates and discussion of changing vaccine schedules. Alex Cohen has more.
Three cases of measles have been confirmed among federal immigration detainees in Arizona, according to health officials.
The Pinal County Public Health Services District on Jan. 16 reported its first measles case in a decade and has since confirmed two more. All three cases “are associated with individuals in federal custody,” Pinal County Public Health Services District spokesperson Jassmin Castro wrote in a Jan. 27 email to Arizona Republic, part of the USA TODAY Network.
The potential outbreak comes as migrants in other detention centers in the United States describe sick children and a lack of health care resources while inside, and cases of the measles are on the rise in other states.
More details on the confirmed cases of measles in Arizona
Pinal County is located in the central part of Arizona between the cities of Tucson and Phoenix.
Castro would not say whether the confirmed cases are linked. Congregate settings such as jails and prisons are vulnerable to outbreaks if not enough people are vaccinated and public health protocols aren’t followed.
Castro would not provide other details about infected individuals, including detention facilities and locations, “in order to protect patient privacy and comply with medical confidentiality laws.” But the Department of Homeland Security confirmed in a Jan. 27 email to The Arizona Republic that at least one case was a Mexican citizen being held at the Florence Detention Center in central Arizona.
The DHS email also stated that ICE Health Services Corp. “immediately took steps to quarantine and control further spread and infection, ceasing all movement within the facility and quarantining all individuals suspected of making contact with the infected.”
Officials with ICE did not immediately respond to The Arizona Republic on Jan. 27. At this time, the overall risk to the general public is low, Castro wrote.
Measles cases on the rise in Arizona and nationwide
The Pinal County cases are part of an overall spike in measles cases in Arizona. There have been 25 in Arizona to date in 2026: three in Pinal County, three in Maricopa County, two in Pima County, and 17 in Mohave County. The Mohave County cases are part of an outbreak on the Arizona-Utah border that has been ongoing since August 2025.
The Arizona-Utah outbreak as of Jan. 27 had climbed to 389 cases, including 231 on the Arizona side.
“What we are having right now is not the norm,” said Nicole Witt, assistant director of preparedness at the Arizona Department of Health Services, about the statewide measles numbers.
The U.S. had the highest number of measles cases in three decades in 2025, and Arizona did, too.
Other states are also seeing cases of measles. Cases of the measles in South Carolina recently surpassed the 2025 West Texas outbreak, reaching nearly 800 cases as the United States is on the verge of losing its status of having eliminated the disease, state health officials announced Jan. 27.
Contributing: Thao Nguyen, USA TODAY
Kate Perez covers national trends and breaking news for USA TODAY. You can reach her at kperez@usatodayco.com or on X @katecperez_.