The United States has lost its status as a country where measles is eliminated, according to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). This status was secured a quarter century ago, but measles has reestablished regular transmission in the country. PAHO based its assessment on two analyses: one by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and another by an independent group of measles experts. The US had previously achieved measles elimination in 2000.
Measles elimination depends on a country's sporadic outbreaks ending within a year, which is no longer happening in the US. Researchers anticipate this conclusion after an outbreak in Utah surpassed the one-year mark in June. The resurgence of measles is attributed to vaccination gaps that opened years before the current administration. Rates of childhood vaccination have steadily declined since the COVID pandemic started.
Many scientists blame the previous administration for spreading vaccine misinformation and stifling a swift, strong response to outbreaks. The administration cut millions of dollars from children's immunization programs run by state health departments and terminated funds for research on vaccine hesitancy. After Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. sacked CDC director Susan Monarez in August 2025, she told Congress she was fired because she would not preapprove changes to vaccine recommendations without reviewing the evidence.
The US has seen significant measles outbreaks in recent years, including one in 2015 at Disney parks in California and another in 2019 in Orthodox Jewish communities in New York and New Jersey. These outbreaks have resulted in over 830 hospitalizations and 13 deaths, including a 7-month-old in New York and infants in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. The outbreaks have cost roughly $125 million in medical care, public health response, and productivity losses.
Experts stress that measles outbreaks are entirely preventable with vaccination. Two doses of the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine prevent about 97% of infections. However, vaccination rates have declined, and many scientists blame misinformation and a lack of confidence in vaccines. A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services attributed the resurgence of measles to vaccination gaps that opened years before this administration.
Past administrations have sounded alarms about measles, with significant outbreaks triggering national efforts to boost vaccination and stop the virus from spreading. Patsy Stinchfield, executive director of the Measles Collaborative, recalled an entire ward devoted to children with measles at a children's hospital in Minnesota during the nation's last surge of measles before elimination, from 1989 to 1991. Two children at the hospital died of measles, which changed her career forever.
The loss of measles elimination status is a significant public health concern, and experts are calling for renewed efforts to boost vaccination rates and address misinformation. The US government must work with healthcare professionals, communities, and the public to prevent further measles outbreaks and protect vulnerable populations, such as young infants who are not yet vaccinated.
Key points
- The US has lost its measles elimination status due to a resurgence of cases, primarily caused by vaccination gaps and misinformation.
- The decline in vaccination rates, particularly among children, has contributed to the resurgence of measles.
- Experts stress that measles outbreaks are preventable with vaccination, and two doses of the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine prevent about 97% of infections.
