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CDC chief says agency will not change measles response if US loses elimination status
Reuters • • general
Key Points:
- The US CDC will maintain its current approach to measles outbreaks even if the US loses its official measles elimination status, which has been held since 2000, according to CDC Director Dr. Erica Schwartz.
- The Pan American Health Organization is expected to decide soon whether the US has lost its measles-free status amid the highest number of infections in over 30 years, with nearly 5,200 cases reported in 2026.
- CDC efforts focus on working with states and raising awareness about the importance of the MMR vaccine, especially in close-knit communities with low vaccination rates, such as the Amish in Pennsylvania.
- Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has expressed skepticism about the MMR vaccine and sought to reduce childhood immunizations, has been acknowledged by Schwartz as respecting her leadership of the CDC.
- An executive order proposing to separate the MMR vaccine into three individual shots was criticized by pharmaceutical companies and doctors for potentially causing confusion and delays in vaccine availability.
