US reportedly loses its measles elimination status after 26 years

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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.WISCONSIN INFANT DIES OF MEASLES AS STATE SEES FIRST DEATH FROM DISEASE SINCE 1990The country has held elimination status since 2000. Isolated cases and shorter outbreaks can still occur without forfeiting that status. 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. (iStock)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.CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIESDr. 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. 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 CDC. (REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton)”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.”AMERICAN VACCINES THAT TRANSFORMED PUBLIC HEALTH OVER 250 YEARS: ‘OUTWEIGHS HARM'”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.” “The result of losing this status is a recognition that not all spread is due to travel from overseas,” Dr. Marc Siegel (not pictured) told Fox News Digital. (Jan Sonnenmair/Getty Images)Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News senior medical analyst, said the change reflects transmission within the country.”The result of losing this status is a recognition that not all spread is due to travel from overseas,” he told Fox News Digital.Siegel also called for bringing vaccination services directly to communities with low vaccination rates.”I think one of the solutions here is for health authorities to send vaccine trucks and clinics to areas where vaccine noncompliance most exists,” he said.CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTERMeasles 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. (iStock)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.TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZMost 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.CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP”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. Melissa Rudy is senior health editor and a member of the lifestyle team at Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to melissa.rudy@fox.com.

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