Florida has third-most measles cases in U.S.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Measles reported in several Florida counties

The spike in measles cases comes as Florida lawmakers consider legislation that would make it easier to opt kids out of school vaccine requirements. FOX 13's Kellie Cowan reports.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Florida has the third-most measles cases in the country and is on track to be the second-highest.

By the numbers:

According to the Florida Department of Health’s Reportable Diseases Frequency Report released this week, the number of diagnoses for 2026 jumped almost 25 percent, from 92 on Feb. 14 to 114 on Feb. 21.

Currently, Florida is the third state with the most measles cases so far this year, according to the U.S. Measles Tracker, a dashboard hosted by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

But the Sunshine State is only nine cases behind Utah, which has 123 confirmed measles diagnoses for 2026. Florida’s numbers lag behind by five days and are updated every Thursday, however, while Utah’s cases update at least every Tuesday.

RELATED: University of Florida investigating possible measles exposure after cases reported in Alachua County

South Carolina, which has been the epicenter of an outbreak that originated in Spartanburg County, has the most confirmed cases with 653, according to the tracker.

Dig deeper:

In Florida, about three quarters of this year’s cases, 82, are in Collier County, according to DOH. A measles outbreak was reported there at Ave Maria University in late January.

The "vast majority" of the university is vaccinated, and DOH is currently "on-site providing care and guidance," according to the school’s website.

READ: States sue Trump administration over child vaccine policy. What we know

Other counties with reported measles cases this year are: Alachua, Broward, Duval, Escambia, Hillsborough, Lee, Manatee, Miami-Dade, Pinellas and St. Johns.

Approximately 81% of the reported measles cases are among people 15 to 24, according to DOH’s data, and 76 out of the 114 cases were acquired within the state.

DOH’s reportable disease tracker does not display the vaccination status of measles cases.