Federal health authorities reported an additional 178 cases of measles in the US this week, as the vaccine-preventable illness continues to sicken people across at least 43 outbreaks.

The new data reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) comes as experts criticize the agency for lack of transparency, and as health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr takes steps to further upend US vaccine infrastructure.

The CDC reported 4,588 cases of measles across the country in 2026 as of Friday – more than double the tally for 2025. Pennsylvania alone reported 1,338 cases on the same day. The CDC also reported large outbreaks in South Carolina and Utah, both of which are reporting more than 500 cases.

In spite of rising measles numbers, official tallies represent an undercount of the disease. Measles is widely regarded as one of the most contagious diseases known to medicine.…