PAHO to Review US Measles Elimination Status

5 sourcesUpdated Nov 9, 20261 min read

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PAHO to Review US Measles Elimination Status — Photo: Nataliya Vaitkevich / Wikimedia Commons (Pexels)

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The Pan American Health Organization is reviewing whether the United States should lose its measles-elimination status after sustained transmission and thousands of reported cases. The review focuses on whether a continuous chain of transmission has lasted at least a year; U.S. health officials have argued that the organization should also consider whether cases are linked through a common source. Vaccination coverage among kindergartners is below the 95% level generally considered necessary to prevent outbreaks, while measles vaccination and public-health messaging have become politically contentious under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The decision could carry public-health and political consequences, though one former federal health official has said losing the designation would not be a major loss.

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Nov 6, 2026Nov 9, 2026

Nov 9, 2026A U.N. health agency is reviewing whether the U.S. should lose its measles-elimination status after sustained transmission and a major rise in cases.
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