The U.S. is on the verge of losing its measles elimination status
5:25 PM
The United States is on the verge of losing its measles-free status, which it has held since 2000, after 2,144 measles cases were confirmed across 44 states in 2025 — the most since 1991 — including a major outbreak in West Texas that killed two children and sickened 762 people. International health authorities will meet in April to determine whether a single measles chain has spread uninterrupted within the U.S. for at least 12 months, with many experts predicting the country will lose its elimination designation. The resurgence has been driven by declining vaccination rates due to parental waivers, healthcare access barriers, and widespread vaccine misinformation — problems compounded by Trump administration health officials who have sown doubt about vaccine safety and defunded local vaccination efforts. With the national vaccination rate sitting at 92.5% — below the 95% threshold needed for community protection — and active outbreaks continuing in Utah, Arizona, and South Carolina, public health experts warn that the conditions now exist for measles to maintain a permanent foothold in the U.S., regardless of what international authorities decide in April.