Measles Elimination Status ‘Not Really’ a Concern, CDC Official Says

As U.S. is poised to lose measles-free status, RFK Jr.'s new CDC deputy downplays its significance

The United States is poised to lose its status as a measles-free country after a year of ongoing measles outbreaks that have sickened more than 2,400 people. However, Ralph Abraham, the CDC's newly appointed principal deputy director, says he is unbothered by the prospect.

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As US is poised to lose measles-free status, RFK Jr.’s new CDC deputy plays down its significance

SEMINOLE, TEXAS - FEBRUARY 27: Signs point the way to measles testing in the parking lot of the Seminole Hospital District across from Wigwam Stadium on February 27, 2025 in Seminole, Texas. Eighty cases of measles have been reported in Gaines county with one death reported. (Photo by Jan Sonnenmair/Getty Images)After a year of ongoing measles outbreaks that have sickened more than 2,400 people, the United States is poised to lose its status as …

America's measles elimination status is under review. Here's what that means

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) set an April 13 date to review data on the ongoing measles outbreaks in the U.S. and to determine if the country will lose its measles-elimination status, a largely symbolic badge first bestowed upon the U.S. in 2000.  Measles has resurged across the country and around the world in recent years. In November 2025, PAHO revoked Canada's measles-elimination status. So far in 2026, the Centers for Disease …

A measles resurgence has put the US at risk of losing its 'elimination' status

One year ago this week, a case of measles was recorded in Gaines County, Texas. It was the start of an outbreak that killed two children and sickened at least 760 people. Thousands more in the U.S. have contracted measles…

As U.S. is poised to lose measles-free status, RFK Jr.’s new CDC deputy downplays its significance

A nurse readies a measles, mumps and rubella vaccine in May 2025 at Sanford Children’s Hospital in Sioux Falls. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight)After a year of ongoing measles outbreaks that have sickened more than 2,400 people, the United States is poised to lose its status as a measles-free country. However, the newly appointed principal deputy director at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Ralph Abraham, said he was unboth…