United States could lose its measles-free status after 25 years

Global health experts will determine in the coming days whether the United States has lost its official measles-free status, a public health achievement it had held since 2000 and which is now at risk after outbreaks across the country.

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) asked its 35 member states for reports on the measles situation, which a panel of outside experts is reviewing during its annual meeting in Washington, through November 13. PAHO Director Jarbas Barbosa will make the final decision, which is expected to be made public early next week. Mexico and Bolivia are also under watch because of prolonged outbreaks.

Since President Donald Trump took office for a second time in early 2025, health authorities have reported nearly 7,500 measles cases and 11 deaths in the United States. Cases this year have more than doubled compared with 2025, and the Arizona and Utah outbreak, which began in June 2025 and is still ongoing, probably meets the criterion of uninterrupted transmission for 12 months or longer, according to experts.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Erica Schwartz said the federal response will not change even if the status is lost, and reiterated that the best way to prevent measles is the MMR vaccine, against measles, mumps, and rubella. Canada, Spain, and the United Kingdom have recently lost that status.

Photo: Reuters

Source: Reuters