U.S. Faces Possible Loss of Measles Elimination Status After 2025 Outbreaks
International health officials will review whether continuous measles transmission since a 2025 West Texas outbreak means the U.S. has formally lost its measles elimination status.
Overview
What: 2025 saw over 2,140 confirmed measles cases across 44 states, with nearly 50 outbreaks; the West Texas outbreak alone sickened 762 people and caused two child deaths.
Why: Declining vaccination coverage, rising exemptions, access barriers and disinformation contributed to transmission, reducing community immunity below the ~95% threshold needed to prevent measles spread.
Who/response: PAHO will meet in April to assess elimination status; CDC and U.S. public health committees are compiling data, but officials note gaps in contact tracing and surveillance capacity.
Where/spread: Identical measles strains have been found in Texas, New Mexico, Utah, Arizona, South Carolina, Canada and Mexico, complicating determinations of continuous transmission across borders.
Consequences: Losing elimination status would be largely symbolic but signals weakened public-health infrastructure and could raise costs for outbreak response and vulnerability to other infectious diseases.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the measles resurgence as a preventable public-health failure, using evaluative language (e.g., "rampant disinformation," "exploded") and prioritizing public-health experts and CDC data. They highlight policy decisions and vaccination gaps, while including source quotes as evidence; quoted dissent (HHS defense) is presented but less emphasized than expert warnings.
Sources (5)
FAQ
Measles elimination status means the interruption of endemic measles virus transmission for at least 12 months with high-quality surveillance. It is determined by reviewing epidemiological data, vaccination rates, outbreak responses, and laboratory evidence through committees like the CDC's National Sustainability Committee and PAHO's RVC.
The 2025 outbreak with over 2,140 cases across 44 states resulted from declining vaccination coverage below the 95% threshold, rising exemptions, access barriers, and disinformation, leading to reduced community immunity.[story][4]
PAHO's RVC invited the U.S. and Mexico to a virtual meeting on April 13, 2026, to review status following outbreaks starting January 20, 2025. National reports with epidemiological and lab data will be assessed to check for continuous transmission over 12 months.[2]
Losing status is largely symbolic but indicates weakened public health infrastructure, higher outbreak response costs, and increased vulnerability to measles and other diseases.[story][3]
History
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