U.S. loses measles elimination status as deaths reach 10

The Pan American Health Organization revoked the United States' measles elimination status after determining the country had uninterrupted measles transmission for more than 12 months, Al Jazeera reported on Saturday. The United States had held the designation since 2000. State officials in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin each announced a new measles-associated death on Friday, bringing the state-reported U.S. total this year to 10, Clinical Observer reported Saturday. The seventh Pennsylvania death involved an unvaccinated person from Montour County; Wisconsin confirmed that a child died but did not disclose the child's vaccination status. As of Nov. 12, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had tallied 5,412 cases in 45 states, along with 591 hospitalizations and at least six deaths tied to measles, according to the same Clinical Observer report.

WHYY reported that Pennsylvania has logged more than 1,500 measles infections this year, nearly all in unvaccinated residents, and seven measles-associated deaths as of Nov. 13, including two infants. The outbreak began in Lancaster County in April and has reached 46 of the state's 67 counties. About one in five infected people in the state has been hospitalized, according to state data cited by WHYY. Paul Offit, who directs the Vaccine Education Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, said measles "has gained a foothold" and predicted ongoing cases "until we get on top of this with vaccination."

Researchers with knowledge of the decision confirmed it to KFF Health News, CBS News reported. PAHO defines elimination as the absence of "locally transmitted measles infections or outbreaks lasting 12 months or longer." The agency plans a news conference Tuesday. To regain elimination status, PAHO recommends maintaining vaccination coverage at or above 95%, operating sensitive surveillance systems, ensuring laboratory capacity, and guaranteeing rapid outbreak response. CBS News medical correspondent Dr. Céline Gounder said losing elimination status means "we're at risk of being exposed to measles and getting measles if we're not vaccinated." Omer Awan, a public health contributor for Forbes, described the situation as "frustrating and heartbreaking" and noted that two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine prevent measles in roughly 97% of recipients.

Vaccination coverage among U.S. kindergartners fell from 95.2% in the 2019-2020 school year to 92.4% in 2025-2026, according to Al Jazeera. In Pennsylvania, public health teams have offered combination MMR shots at homes, pop-up clinics and recreational vehicles, WHYY reported. State epidemiologist Lisa McHugh said transmission appears to be slowing as more people become vaccinated or develop immunity after infection. In October, a state health advisory cautioned providers that infants born with congenital measles may develop complications such as delayed neurological conditions.

The elimination decision does not settle the dispute over the U.S. death toll. The CDC's confirmed count remains six deaths for 2026, while state officials report 10. Al Jazeera reported that Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. asked CDC Director Erica Schwartz not to count some deaths, claiming there was no evidence they were measles-associated. Pennsylvania classifies a death as measles-associated if the person had confirmed measles and died within 30 days of symptom onset, unless the death stemmed from an unrelated cause; the CDC is collaborating with the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists to standardize the definition. The earlier CDC tally of 5,182 cases on Nov. 7 was already a 35-year high, Clinical Observer reported earlier this month.