NASHVILLE, Tenn. — With measles spreading at its fastest pace in decades across the country, the Tennessee Department of Health on Nov. 13 asked residents to talk with their doctors about the disease and whether they are protected against it.
The department has confirmed 11 cases in Tennessee so far in 2026. State figures show seven of them were in East Tennessee, while the other four turned up around Memphis, in the Mid-Cumberland region and in and near Nashville. Most of the patients, 64%, had not been vaccinated.
Seven of the Tennessee cases were adults between 18 and 49, three were children from 5 to 17, and one was an adult 50 or older. Three patients had received both doses of the measles, mumps and rubella shot, and the vaccine history of one was not known.
Nationally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention counted 5,182 confirmed cases as of Nov. 5, the highest total in more than 30 years and more than twice the 2,289 cases recorded in all of 2025. Federal data put 96% of this year cases among people who were unvaccinated or whose status was unknown, and four deaths have been reported.
Interim Health Commissioner and State Epidemiologist Dr. John Dunn said in the department release that vaccination is among the prevention steps people should discuss with their providers, noting that vaccinated people are less likely to get sick after exposure.
Measles travels through the air when an infected person breathes, coughs or sneezes. Signs usually show up one to two weeks after exposure and can include a high fever, a cough, a runny nose, red and watery eyes, tiny white spots in the mouth and a blotchy red rash that starts around the face or hairline and moves down the body.
The state asks anyone who thinks they were exposed to call a health care provider before showing up at a clinic, urgent care or emergency room, so staff can keep others from being exposed. People unsure of their shot records can check with their doctor or local health department. Complications can include pneumonia, swelling of the brain, hospital stays and death, and the danger runs higher for infants and small children, expectant mothers, adults over 20 and people with weak immune systems. Suspected cases should be reported to the department at 615-741-7247.
Filed under: Nashville TN Health News
