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Upcoming meeting could determine if US loses its measles elimination status
ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos • • health
Key Points:
- The United States faces a review this week by an independent expert group appointed by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) to determine if it has lost its measles elimination status due to continuous transmission since January 2025.
- Measles elimination status means no continuous spread for at least 12 months; the U.S. earned this status in 2000 after significant declines in cases following widespread vaccination efforts starting in the 1960s.
- Recent outbreaks beginning in Texas in early 2025 have spread to multiple states, with over 5,000 cases confirmed this year and 11 deaths mostly among unvaccinated individuals, raising concerns about sustained transmission.
- PAHO's decision, expected after a closed-door meeting Nov. 10-13, will consider whether the outbreaks are genetically linked, indicating continuous spread, which could formally result in the U.S. losing its elimination status.
- Experts view losing the status as a serious setback but also a call to action to strengthen vaccination and containment efforts to control measles resurgence.
