There has been considerable fulmination in the media outlets about the increase in measles cases in the United States, What follows is a table documenting the reported cases of measles this year for OECD countries in 2026
Recent Reported Measles Incidence — Selected OECD Countries
Most recent 2026 figures available from national or international public-health authorities. Reporting dates differ by country, so the figures should be regarded as an indication of relative scale rather than a precise ranking.
| Country | Reported cases | Reporting period | Approx. population | Cases per million |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico | 12,479 | Jan. 1–Aug. 8, 2026 | ~130 million | ~96.0 |
| Canada | 1,114 | Jan. 1–Aug. 8, 2026 | ~41 million | ~27.2 |
| England* | 970 | Jan. 1–Aug. 17, 2026 | ~58 million | ~16.7 |
| United States | 2,465 | Jan. 1–Aug. 6, 2026 | ~342 million | ~7.2 |
| Japan | 498 | Jan. 1–May 20, 2026 | ~124 million | ~4.0 |
*The most recent UK government figures available on a directly comparable calendar-year basis cover England rather than the entire United Kingdom.
Sources: Pan American Health Organization/WHO for Mexico, Canada and the United States; UK Health Security Agency for England; Japan Institute for Health Security for Japan. Figures are provisional and reporting dates differ. Population figures are rounded, so per-capita rates are approximate.
Quite a number of explanations have been suggested for the increase in cases including delays in vaccination produced by the COVID-19 pandemic, “vaccination hesitancy”, and others.
Considering the large numbers in developed countries other than the U. S., I see little reason to blame the increase on conditions specific to the U. S. Officials should strive to reduce the numbers but I don’t believe there is any need for brow-beating.
This map of countries vaccine mandates for children is interesting:
Mandatory: Mexico
Mandatory for school entry: U.S. (some states)
Recommended: Canada, England & Japan.
https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/vaccine-mandates-by-country
There are probably some better sources, but it supports my assumptions. A lot of places, presumably Mexico, have state capacity issues, such that the mandates written into laws aren’t really enforced and vaccines may not be readily available in lots of places. (the latter is also probably true in parts of the U.S.)
Anglo and Nordic countries have strong traditions of valuing individual autonomy that resist mandates or make opt out procedures in any laws. (E.g., Oregon vaccine mandates have broad opt outs for religious beliefs, with such beliefs defined by the individual)
Recommendations in Japan are framed as a civic duty, which is sufficient in that culture to get quite high levels of vaccination without legal coercion.
PD Shaw, Thanks for sharing the link. That is interesting data. Countries where the measles vaccine is mandatory have a lower average vaccination rate than countries where it is recommended.
I am surprised by England and Canada. They had far more strict COVID vaccine mandates (and actual enforcement), and culturally have very different attitudes towards science, and authority.
None of it is good through, the Americas as a whole had supposedly eliminated measles a 10-20 years ago.