U.S. loses measles elimination status as cases surge nationwide

The United States has lost its measles elimination status, researchers have confirmed to CBS News. This comes after the Pan American Health Organization, a regional office for the World Health Organization, recorded over 5,400 measles cases in the U.S. this year, double the total from the previous year. A country is considered measles-free if there are no locally transmitted infections or outbreaks lasting 12 months or longer.

For the first time since 2000, the U.S. did not meet this standard. Approximately a third of this year's cases are linked to outbreaks that began in 2025 and continue to spread. The largest outbreak is in Pennsylvania, with more than 1,500 cases and seven deaths reported this year. New York and Wisconsin have each reported one death.

The CDC has recorded 5,412 cases so far in 2026, resulting in over 590 hospitalizations and at least six measles-related deaths. Measles cases have been confirmed in 45 states and Washington, D.C. A country loses its measles elimination status when its population immunity weakens enough that the disease can spread. This means the U.S. is at risk of exposure to measles and being an exporter of the disease to other countries.

The loss of measles elimination status is a setback to the nation's public health infrastructure, according to an epidemiologist. The MMR vaccine, which is 97% effective at preventing measles, is key to combating the disease. To regain measles elimination status, higher vaccination rates are needed, and misinformation needs to be battled through vaccination campaigns.

Most states set school vaccine rules, and policymakers can create legislations to increase vaccination rates. The U.S. began collecting national data on measles in 1912, and the country was declared measles-free in 2000 after 25 years of no local spread. The MMR vaccine, introduced in 1963, significantly reduced measles cases, and the country had not seen a reported case since 2000.