Follow-Up: Wisconsin Measles Cases Pass 300, Still Fourth in Nation as Vaccination Coverage Slips
Wisconsin has surpassed 300 measles cases in 2026 tied to outbreaks in eight counties, according to the latest data from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services reported on October 23. The 308 cases are distributed as follows: 103 in Lafayette County, 77 in Grant County, 74 in Iowa County, 28 in Chippewa County, 14 in Vernon County, 6 in Marathon County, 5 probable cases in Rock County and 1 in Richland County, in outbreaks that began in early July. The largest increase came from Chippewa County, where the count more than doubled since last week. GSM reported on October 11 that the state's cases had risen to 263.
As of October 22, close to 4,600 measles cases have been reported in the United States this year, according to the CDC, and Wisconsin remains the state with the fourth-most cases, behind Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Utah, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. Experts say the basic reason is slipping measles vaccination coverage.
The country could likely lose its measles elimination status, granted in 2000, meaning the disease does not circulate continuously; a World Health Organization commission is expected to vote on the decision at a meeting in Washington, D.C., in November.
Source: GSM·America
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：麦迪逊威斯康星州议会大厦。摄影：Michael Barera，CC BY-SA 4.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: the Wisconsin State Capitol in Madison, by Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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