US reportedly loses longstanding measles elimination status as cases surge nationwide

The U.S. has reportedly lost its measles-elimination status after 26 years, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.

Loss of this status means measles is spreading continuously within the U.S. again, with the same chain of transmission persisting for at least 12 months, according to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).

PAHO had planned to announce the determination publicly on Tuesday, Nov. 17, according to KFF Health News, which separately reported the decision, citing researchers with direct knowledge of the deliberations.

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The country has held elimination status since 2000. Isolated cases and shorter outbreaks can still occur without forfeiting that status.

PAHO’s independent regional verification commission reviewed countries’ elimination status during its Nov. 10-13 meeting in Washington, D.C.

The U.S. reported 5,412 confirmed measles cases in 2026 through Nov. 12, more than double the 2,289 cases reported in all of 2025, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Dr. Stephanie Widmer, a New York City-based emergency medicine physician and Fox News medical contributor, said the loss of measles elimination status is a "public health setback," emphasizing the danger posed by the infection.

"Measles isn’t just a childhood rash. It can cause pneumonia, brain inflammation, permanent neurological damage and death," she told Fox News Digital on Saturday. "As an emergency physician, I can tell you these complications are not something we should ever take lightly."

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"Losing elimination status doesn’t mean the vaccine stopped working," she went on. "It means we no longer have enough protection in some communities to prevent sustained transmission."

The doctor emphasized that infants who are too young to be vaccinated and people with compromised immune systems are "paying the price for gaps in community immunity."

"Losing elimination status doesn’t mean the vaccine stopped working."

The loss of measles elimination status "signals that the virus is spreading continuously and that too many people remain unprotected," according to the American Academy of Family Physicians.

"It does not mean the MMR vaccine has stopped working," the AAFP said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital. "It means we must restore confidence in the safety and efficacy of life-saving public health tools."

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Measles is highly contagious, infecting up to nine in 10 people without immunity who are close to an infected person, the CDC states. The virus can linger in the air for up to two hours after that person leaves.

Two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine have been shown to be about 97% effective at preventing the disease.

The CDC recommends that children receive two doses of the MMR vaccine, with the first given at 12 to 15 months and the second at 4 to 6 years.

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Most adults without evidence of immunity need one MMR dose, while certain higher-risk adults need two, according to the agency. People with two appropriately spaced doses generally do not need a measles booster.

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"Restoring elimination status requires an organized and sustained response that includes increased support for state and local health departments, timelier surveillance and communications, clear information for families and an easier path to vaccination," the AAFP said.

Fox News Digital reached out to PAHO and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services requesting comment.