Why did the US lose its measles elimination status? Know more about the symptoms and what to do if you contact the virus

The US is no longer a measles-free country after the Pan American Health Organisation revoked its elimination status, CNN reported citing a source on Friday, November 13. The country lost its status after 26 years.

The highly contagious virus has been considered “eliminated” in the US since 2000. According to CNN, this comes in the wake of falling vaccination numbers and rising cases as outbreaks emerged in 2025 in the nation.

Why did the US lose the “Eliminated” status for measles?

The decision comes after the organization concluded that the county had failed to stop the continuous contamination of the disease for more than a year, according to Reuters. CNN further reported that the organisation that decides a county’s measles elimination status as eliminated, recognises a virus as an endemic if the infection by a single strain travels from individual to individual for at least one year in the county.

The health organisation studies epidemiological and lab evidence submitted to them by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevent to decide the US’ status. Several countries including the UK, Spain and Canada have recently lost their measles elimination status as well.

The US is in the middle of a measles outbreak

The status loss comes amid a measles outbreak in the county which has killed 10 people in the county after new deaths were reported from Wisconsin and Pennsylvania on Friday. Seven people have died in Pennsylvania, one in New York and two in Wisconsin, ABC News reported.

According to the CDC 5,412 infections have so far been reported in 2026 across 45 states. The department has recorded 43 new outbreaks in 2026 and 96% of the confirmed cases have been outbreak related. For context, 2,289 cases were confirmed in 2025, with only 26 of these reported among international visitors.

For the past two years, the US has been recording a record number of cases, contributing to the loss of the elimination status. The number of cases reported so far this year is the highest since 1991, according to CNN.

Measles symptoms and what to do is you contact it

According to the CDC, measles is one of the most contagious diseases and can be dangerous particularly among young children and babies. The CDC advises on their website that the MMR vaccine is the “best protection” against the virus.

Measles symptoms generally appear about seven to 14 days after the infection. These can include high fever, cough, a runny nose or red and watery eyes. Individuals who have contracted the infection may also notice tiny white spots in their mouths about two to three days after the symptoms first appear, according to the CDC.

The CDC advises to contact a doctor if an individual notices symptoms of the virus. If one notices an emergency warning sign of the disease they should go to an emergency room. These include trouble in breathing, dehydration, blue color around the mouth, continuous headache and confusion.