The United States has lost its measles-elimination status after 26 years, The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, a decision confirmed by CNN through a source close to the process. The Pan American Health Organization, the Americas branch of the World Health Organization, determined the country had not halted continuous transmission of the virus for more than a year.
The United States had held the status since 2000. A country is considered to have eliminated measles when the same strain of the virus does not spread continuously for at least 12 months.
The scale of the resurgence is the worst in decades. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had recorded 5,182 confirmed cases in 2026 as of Thursday, from 45 states, New York City and the District of Columbia — more than double last year’s total of 2,289. About 7,500 people have been infected since 2025, and 13 have died. Roughly one in nine reported cases has led to hospitalization, according to the CDC.
There have been 43 new outbreaks this year, and five measles deaths have been reported so far in November in Pennsylvania, New York and Wisconsin, from unrelated outbreaks. In Utah, scientists found the same strain of measles had been circulating for more than a year, causing more than 600 cases between June 2025 and June 2026.
What it means
To regain elimination status, the United States must halt the continuing spread of the virus for at least 12 months — an effort that could take years of public-health work, the Journal reported. The health body recommends that countries which lose the status submit a corrective action plan and strengthen immunization and disease surveillance.
The decision was widely expected after years of falling vaccination levels and surging case counts, CNN reported. The United States achieved elimination in 2000 after robust immunization campaigns and the creation of a program that made shots free for millions of children.
This is a developing story. The Pan American Health Organization did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters, and has not publicly announced the decision. This story will be updated.
Sources: The Wall Street Journal; Reuters; CNN; U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
