United States loses measles elimination status as outbreaks persist

The United States has lost its measles elimination status after outbreaks continued spreading for more than a year, researchers with knowledge of the decision told KFF Health News. The designation, held since 2000, ends as the country records more than 5,400 measles cases in 2026 — more than twice last year’s total.

The Pan American Health Organization, the World Health Organization’s regional office for the Americas, reached the conclusion after reviewing analyses by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and an independent group of measles experts, NPR reported. PAHO had planned a public announcement for Nov. 17, according to NPR.

Elimination does not mean a country has no measles cases. It means locally transmitted outbreaks do not persist for 12 months or longer. The CDC says about a third of this year’s U.S. cases are linked to outbreaks that began in 2025. NPR reported that an outbreak in Utah passed the one-year mark in June.

“It’s a very sad moment,” Anne Schuchat, an epidemiologist and former CDC deputy director who was not involved in PAHO’s decision, told NPR. She said measles can cause high fever, missed work and school, long-term complications and death.

The CDC has counted 5,412 cases so far this year, with more than 590 hospitalizations and at least six measles-related deaths, CBS News reported. Some states have reported additional fatalities. Pennsylvania health officials have reported more than 1,500 cases and seven deaths associated with measles this year; New York and Wisconsin have each reported one death. Cases have been confirmed in 45 states and Washington, D.C.

NPR reported a broader tally of 13 measles-associated deaths reported by states over the past two years, including deaths of infants in New York, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. It also reported more than 830 hospitalizations and more than 8,000 illnesses over that period. Johns Hopkins University researchers estimate the outbreaks have cost roughly $125 million in medical care, public health response and lost productivity.

The United States recorded 2,242 cases across 48 outbreaks in 2025, according to CDC figures cited by CBS News. Before that, the country had maintained elimination status for more than 25 years, despite outbreaks that were eventually contained.

Vaccination gaps leave communities vulnerable to sustained spread. CDC data cited by CBS News show that 96% of people infected this year were unvaccinated or had an unknown vaccination status; 2% were fully vaccinated. Two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine prevent about 97% of measles infections. PAHO says vaccination rates of at least 95%, along with effective surveillance and rapid outbreak response, are important to maintaining elimination.

Babies, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems are among those who cannot receive the measles vaccine, CBS News reported. Dr. Omer Awan, an epidemiologist, said they would bear “the brunt of the consequences” of increased spread.

An HHS spokesperson attributed the resurgence to vaccination gaps that opened before the current administration, NPR reported. The White House said President Donald Trump and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have encouraged measles vaccination and helped states obtain doses. NPR also reported that many scientists blame administration cuts to immunization programs and vaccine messaging for weakening the response.