US Loses Measles-Free Status After 26 Years

The United States has officially lost its measles elimination status, 26 years after first achieving it, according to media reports published on Saturday.

The decision was made by an expert committee of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), which ruled that the country no longer meets the criteria for the designation. The status is lost when the same strain of measles has been circulating continuously for at least 12 months.

America first received measles-free status in 2000, meaning there was no sustained local transmission of the virus. That did not mean zero cases, but rather no long-lasting chains of infection within the country.

By 12 November, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had recorded 5,412 measles cases this year, more than double the total for all of last year. Several deaths have been linked to the virus, including among children.

Health experts say the outbreak is largely driven by falling vaccination rates. The share of kindergarten children vaccinated with the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine has dropped from 95.2% to 92.4% over the past six years, according to the CDC. The World Health Organization says at least 95% coverage with two doses is needed to prevent long-term spread of measles.

To regain the measles-free status, the US must halt the current transmission for at least 12 months and provide evidence of the interruption.