U.S. Could Lose Measles-Free Status Soon as Cases Exceed 5,400
The United States could lose its measles elimination status this week as an expert panel reviews the outbreak’s spread. The country has recorded more than 5,400 cases nationally, while the CDC says it will keep working with states on prevention even if the designation is withdrawn.
The United States could lose measles-free status soon, with a Pan American Health Organization panel reviewing the country’s elimination status in Washington, D.C., this week as infections exceed 5,400 nationally. The decision could remove a public health designation the country has held since 2000.
Eight independent experts will assess epidemiological evidence, and the organization’s director will make the final decision. The U.S. is experiencing its worst measles outbreak since 1991, with cases reported across nearly every state.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Erica Schwartz said the agency would continue working with states even if the U.S. loses its status. “We’re going to be doing the same exact thing that we’ve been doing today, which is working with the states,” she said.
Schwartz said the CDC would continue helping states raise awareness and emphasize vaccination. She called the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine the “number one way to prevent measles.”
The CDC reported nearly 5,200 confirmed cases in 2026, compared with 2,289 for all of 2025. State health departments have reported 11 deaths since early last year.
U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who oversees the CDC, has questioned the MMR vaccine’s safety and effectiveness and sought to reduce childhood immunizations. Medical experts have said his rhetoric and actions have contributed to falling vaccination rates.
Schwartz identified close-knit communities as a main source of infections. She said several outbreaks began in religious groups with lower vaccination rates, including Amish communities in Pennsylvania.
“Their families were making decisions about the MMR vaccine 20 to 30 years ago, and we’re just now seeing the results of those decisions,” Schwartz said.
In August, President Donald Trump and Kennedy announced an executive order calling for the MMR vaccine to be split into three separate shots. Pharmaceutical companies said the change could take years, while doctors warned it could confuse families.
The Cleveland, Ohio, public health director, Dr. David Margolius, urged people to find proof of measles vaccination in case they are exposed. Without documentation, people may face a blood test or a 21-day quarantine.
“Now is the time to go and find that evidence, because now this is a real day-to-day life thing that could happen to you,” Margolius said.
Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, said losing the designation would be “a tremendous step backwards.” He said two-thirds of people infected with measles in Pennsylvania are adults.
