The Portland metro area has recorded 17 measles cases in 2026, and health officials say the national surge is accelerating just five weeks before Beaverton School District students return to class in one month.

Multnomah County Health Officer Dr. Richard Bruno joined a Big Cities Health Coalition press conference July 21, warning that U.S. measles cases have nearly surpassed last year's full-year total.

The CDC confirmed 2,260 cases nationally as of that date, just 29 short of the 2,289 cases reported for all of 2025.

Measles cases over the past 18 months now exceed the combined total from the previous 25 years, officials said.

"This became a situation in the spring when we had asymptomatic children attending school after being exposed in their homes but not informing us," Bruno said at the press conference. "We did work closely with the school leadership to inform the students and staff who were unvaccinated but had to quarantine 40 students and staff for three weeks, disrupting education and livelihoods."

That quarantine happened at a Portland metro school this spring.

Oregon numbers climbing

Oregon had reported 30 confirmed measles cases as of June 15, according to Oregon Health Authority data; the actual count is likely higher now.

Twenty-eight of those were among people who were unvaccinated or had unknown vaccination status. The state reported just one measles case in all of 2025.

Bruno said the 17th Portland metro case was diagnosed the week of July 14.

Wastewater monitoring has detected measles virus in several parts of Oregon, indicating wider circulation than confirmed case counts reflect, according to OregonLive reporting from July 13.

Vaccination rates falling

In Multnomah County, the kindergarten MMR vaccination rate sits around 92%, below the 95% threshold needed for herd immunity, Bruno said.

Washington County-specific rates were not immediately available; Multnomah County's figure is the closest regional data point for Beaverton families.

More than one-third of Oregon schools with at least 10 students have measles vaccination rates below 93%, OHA reported.

Dr. Howard Chiou, OHA's medical director for communicable diseases and immunizations, said in May when the statewide data was released that "the downward trends are deeply concerning."

Funding cuts compound the problem

Multnomah County's community immunization program ended June 30, 2025, after the loss of more than $2.3 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds.

Between 2021 and 2025, that program administered an estimated 69,465 vaccines. Bruno said the cuts left his department with fewer staff to organize vaccination events.

Nurses from Multnomah County worked with neighboring counties, including Washington County, to vaccinate more than 150 migrant farmworkers at a farm this spring after a measles outbreak among farm workers, Bruno said.

What Beaverton families should know

The CDC recommends two doses of the MMR vaccine: the first between 12 and 15 months of age, the second at ages 4 to 6. Two doses are 97% effective against measles.

Measles spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Virus particles can linger indoors for up to two hours after the person leaves. Symptoms appear 7 to 21 days after exposure.

The Oregon Health Authority urges anyone experiencing measles symptoms or who believes they were exposed to call a healthcare provider before going to a clinic or hospital, so staff can create a safe entry plan.

Beaverton School District's first day of school is Tuesday, August 25.

Families can verify their children's vaccination status through their pediatrician or the Washington County immunization program.