Credit: Wellcome Library, London.
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A disease that many of us remember from childhood — and thought we’d seen the last of — is making an unwelcome return to Florida. As of early February 2026, the state has confirmed at least 21 measles cases, a sharp jump from just 29 for all of 2025. The outbreaks are popping up from the Gulf Coast to North Florida, and health officials are urging residents to check that they and their families are up to date on vaccinations.
The biggest cluster is at Ave Maria University, a small Catholic college near Naples, where at least 20 students have fallen ill and three have been hospitalized. The Collier County Health Department has set up shop on campus, offering vaccines and post-exposure treatments at its Naples and Immokalee offices. Measles spreads remarkably easily — the virus can hang in the air for up to two hours after an infected person leaves a room. Dorm life, shared dining halls, and packed classrooms make college campuses especially vulnerable.
The virus hasn’t stayed in one corner of the state. The University of Florida in Gainesville confirmed two cases and began investigating possible classroom exposures in early February. Over in Jacksonville, five confirmed cases turned up in Duval County, all in children, with at least three younger than nine. A case was also reported in St. Johns County.
Not Just Florida
Florida’s situation is part of a much larger national picture. The country recorded 2,267 measles cases in 2025, the most since 1992, and another 588 were confirmed by late January 2026. South Carolina has been hit hardest, with more than 550 cases centered around Spartanburg County. Health officials have warned that the United States could lose the measles elimination status it earned back in 2000.
For those of us old enough to remember measles firsthand, the dangers need no introduction. Three people died from measles nationally in 2025 — two children in Texas and one adult in New Mexico — the first U.S. measles deaths in a decade. A child in Los Angeles County also died from a measles-related complication. No deaths have been reported in Florida or anywhere in the country so far in 2026.
Measles can hit hard, especially in the very young and those with weakened immune systems. One in five unvaccinated children who catch it will end up in the hospital, and one in 20 will develop pneumonia. In rare cases, the virus causes encephalitis — brain swelling that can lead to hearing loss or lasting damage. It can even cause something called “immune amnesia,” where the body forgets how to fight off other infections it previously knew how to handle.
