Maine CDC Announces Another Four Measles Cases; No New Exposure Locations Identified

Feb 17, 2026

AUGUSTA -- The Maine Department of Health and Human Services' Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC) is announcing that four additional cases of measles have been confirmed in Maine. That brings the current total number of lab-confirmed cases in Maine to five, though there are no new exposure locations associated with these diagnoses and no new exposure risks for the public.

These new cases follow the Department's February 6, 2026 announcement of the first confirmed case of measles in Maine since 2019. Maine defines a measles outbreak as three or more cases in unrelated households that share an epidemiological link. As of today, Maine does not have a measles outbreak.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S. CDC), as of February 13, there were 910 confirmed measles cases reported nationwide in 2026. Today,the Maine CDC is launching a public measles dashboard for tracking case and outbreak numbers along with counties where cases are identified. This will serve as a resource for tracking measles in Maine going forward.

The cases announced today are all from Penobscot County and had exposure to the first reported case. All four new cases are unvaccinated.

Measles is a highly contagious viral disease; if one person has it, 90% of the people close to that person who are not immune will become infected. Symptoms of measles include:

• Fever
• Cough
• Runny nose
• Red, watery eyes
• Tiny white spots inside the mouth on the inner lining of the cheek (Koplik spots)
• Rash that spreads from the head down. Individuals who develop symptoms should contact their health provider for instructions before going to the provider's office or hospital to help prevent further spread of infection.

Measles can cause severe sickness including pneumonia, encephalitis (brain swelling), and death. An infected person spreads measles through coughs or sneezes. Once infected, a person is contagious from four days before their rash starts through four days afterwards. The virus remains alive for up to two hours on surfaces and in the air. The period from exposure to onset of symptoms is typically 10 to 14 days but can be longer.

The measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine is the best prevention for measles. Two doses of MMR vaccine are about 97% effective at preventing measles; one dose is about 93% effective. The U.S. CDC considers people who received two doses of MMR vaccine as a child protected for life. Anyone who is not immunized or does not know their measles immunization status should get vaccinated.

Recommendations

• Children - Identify and vaccinate children who are not up to date with their MMR vaccines. All children should receive two doses of MMR vaccine. A health care professional should administer the first dose to children at 12 to 15 months old and the second at 4 to 6 years old.
  • Children 6 to 11 months old who will be traveling internationally or domestically to a region with a known active measles outbreak should receive one dose of MMR vaccine, per the Maine CDC's recently expanded recommendations for those traveling to a destination with a known outbreak.
• Adults- All adults should have proof of immunity to measles. Acceptable proof includes one of the following:
  • written documentation of vaccination
  • laboratory evidence of immunity
  • birth before 1957
  • or laboratory confirmation of disease
  • individuals who received a measles vaccine between 1963 to 1967 are encouraged to speak with their doctor to determine if additional vaccination is needed. Those known to have received an inactivated dose measles vaccine should receive a single dose of MMR. Five percent of people who received measles vaccine between 1963 and 1967 received an inactivated vaccine. For adults with no evidence of immunity to measles, the U.S. CDC recommends one dose of MMR vaccine as soon as possible. Adults who are traveling domestically or internationally to a region known to have an active measles outbreak should receive two doses of the vaccine (PDF). Pregnant women should not receive any live virus vaccine during pregnancy, including MMR.

For More Information:

• The Maine CDC's measles webpage: www.maine.gov/dhhs/measles
• The U.S. CDC's measles webpage: www.cdc.gov/measles/index.html
• The Maine Immunization Program webpage: www.maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc/infectious-disease/immunization/