Measles elimination decision brewing, where is the fall vaccination data, and good news you might have missed

Key Points:

• A panel of experts is meeting this week to decide if the U.S. has lost its measles elimination status due to continuous spread since early 2025, with expectations leaning toward losing the status, which would mark measles as endemic again.
• Respiratory illnesses like flu, RSV, and Covid-19 are increasing as the fall "sick season" approaches, with flu hospitalizations rising and RSV climbing especially among young children in the South; however, CDC has not yet released fall vaccination rate data, causing concern among health officials.
• The decision on measles elimination status relies on epidemiological investigations and whole-genome sequencing to determine if the same measles strain has circulated continuously for 12 months, with the final call expected around November 16 by the Pan American Health Organization.
• Losing measles elimination status is largely symbolic but signals increased transmission in unvaccinated communities, leading to more preventable illness, higher healthcare costs, and school absences, highlighting the need for renewed vaccination efforts and public health strategies.
• Positive health developments include a decline in overdose deaths, Barbados achieving elimination of mother-to-child HIV transmission, and RSV vaccines showing strong effectiveness in reducing hospitalizations and deaths among nursing home residents.