After 26 years, the US has lost its measles elimination status
The outbreak has driven 5,400 cases and prompted states to expand vaccination efforts as officials weigh whether the United States still qualifies as measles-free.
- On Friday, an independent commission of experts reporting to the Pan American Health Organization determined the United States no longer qualifies as having eliminated measles, a source close to the process told CNN.
- More than 5,400 measles cases have been reported in the United States this year, the highest since 1991, driven by 43 new outbreaks and unvaccinated communities in 2025 and 2026.
- Scientists with Utah's public health laboratory confirmed a single measles strain circulated for more than a year, accounting for more than 95% of cases in the state, according to an August preprint study.
- Dr. Peter Hotez, co-director of the Center for Vaccine Development at Texas Children's Hospital in Houston, called the loss "incredibly embarrassing," while at least 10 people have died after catching measles.
- Regaining elimination status remains a significant challenge, warned Dr. William Moss, a professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, citing diminished public trust in vaccines and rising nonmedical exemptions.
22 Articles
22 Articles
US poised to lose its 'measles elimination status' after more than 25 years • Maine Morning Star
The number of confirmed measles cases across the U.S. this year has soared to 5,412 as of Nov. 12, more than double the 2,289 cases through all of 2025, according to the latest release of data from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The trend is pushing the nation to the brink of losing its official “measles elimination status” in more than 25 years.
Measles was eradicated from the United States at the turn of the millennium through effective vaccination campaigns.
U.S. loses measles-free status as disease continues to spread | Honolulu Star-Advertiser
The Pan American Health Organization has revoked the United States’ measles-elimination status, ending a 26-year run after determining the country failed to halt continuous transmission of the highly contagious virus for more than a year, the Wall Street Journal reported today.
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has revoked the United States' measles-elimination status, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing unnamed sources. The decision comes amid a sharp increase in cases of the deadly disease. In 2026, the United States recorded more than 5,400 measles cases, the highest number in decades. In November alone, five deaths were reported in Pennsylvania, New York and Wisconsin. They were linked to separate ou…
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