US Is on the Brink of Losing Measles Elimination Status
A measles sign is seen at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025, in Lubbock, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Health authorities have confirmed that recent measles outbreaks in Texas, Utah, and Arizona are linked, raising concerns that the United States could lose its measles elimination status for the first time in 25 years. According to the New York Times, the outbreak began in January within a Mennonite community in Texas and subsequently spread to Oklahoma, New Mexico, Utah, and Arizona. Utah and Arizona are now experiencing the largest outbreaks in the country, with more than 180 reported cases.
Officials warn that if transmission continues beyond January, marking a full year of sustained spread, the U.S. could lose its elimination status—a designation granted by the World Health Organization when a country has halted endemic measles transmission. Canada lost its elimination status last week, meaning the Americas region as a whole no longer holds the measles-free designation, which it first earned in 2016 and briefly lost last year following outbreaks in Brazil and Venezuela.
“I wouldn’t call the code yet, but I think the patient’s not looking real good,” said Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, as reported by the Times. Most new cases have occurred among household contacts, though about 25% have no identified source, pointing to gaps in containment. Roughly 7% of cases have been linked to large gatherings, including weddings.
A CDC official emphasized that while the overall risk of widespread transmission in the U.S. remains low, the virus spreads rapidly in communities with low vaccination rates. More than 90% of reported cases involve unvaccinated individuals or those with unknown vaccination status.
The CDC is working with Canadian and Mexican health authorities to track the virus’s genetic sequence and coordinate containment strategies. Experts say that losing elimination status would be “deeply embarrassing” for a wealthy nation with strong medical resources, though it would likely have limited immediate effects, such as travel restrictions, the Times reports.
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