Main roads
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The US may soon lose measles eradication status
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4 out of 7 signs of measles eradication are red
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The remaining three are in danger
TUESDAY, May 5, 2026 (NewsDay News) — The United States is rapidly moving toward losing its measles-free status, a new study says.
Researchers report that the country has lost seven of the benchmarks set by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) since experts eliminated measles in 2000. Lancet.
These include an increase in measles, the spread of outbreaks across the country, the spread of measles within the country rather than from abroad, and the increased risk of transmission from sick people.
Worse, the remaining three symptoms are endangered — indicating that measles could once again become a part of everyday American life, researchers say.
“It appears very likely that the US will lose measles elimination status by 2026,” concluded the research team led by Dr. Anne Bishopspediatrician and postdoctoral fellow at Boston Children’s Hospital.
Reintroduction of measles in the US would have a devastating impact on the health of America’s children, a senior researcher has said. Maimuna Majumdarscientist in the health computer informatics program at Boston Children’s Hospital.
According to reports, severe measles infections can lead to life-threatening pneumonia or encephalitis. World Health Organization. Infections can also cause permanent damage to children’s vision or hearing.
“Measles infection, even when cleared, can lead to lifelong complications,” Majumder said in a news release. “Children under the age of one are among those at greatest risk of serious complications, and the full impact on children exposed to the disease will only be seen years later.”
The researchers said in a background note that the last series of US outbreaks in Texas began in January 2025. Since then, outbreaks have spread to 45 states.
For the new study, researchers compared what’s happening in the U.S. with the seven warning signs of measles outbreaks set forth by the CDC’s National Immunization Program.
The results showed that four of these indicators are in red:
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A low number of cases with terminations of less than one case per 10 million people: At the beginning of 2026, there are about 93 cases per 10 million people in the United States, which is much higher than this rate.
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Most cases of measles must come from abroad rather than from domestic spread: Only 6% to 7% of measles cases since early 2025 have come from abroad, meaning most cases are Americans infecting other Americans.
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A limited number of about four outbreaks per year and no more than six cases each: Last year, 48 outbreaks in the US caused more than 2,000 cases. This continues this year as 19 known outbreaks have already caused more than 1,600 cases.
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The transmission rate is less than one person, meaning that one infected person spreads measles on average less than another person: The US has increased this indicator by more than 75% since the beginning of 2025.
Worse, the remaining three indicators show signs of weakness:
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TIt’s four weeks in a row in the US where all infections come from abroad: Since the first infection in January 2025, the US has not gone four weeks without an infection, and a total of 90% of cases have been acquired domestically.
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Herd immunity through vaccination: About 95% of people need to receive two doses of measles vaccine to achieve herd immunity. The average vaccination rate for US kindergarteners last school year was 92%.
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Measles cases do not share a common virus strain: Preliminary data suggest that the majority of cases share the same viral strain and are likely part of a chain of transmission.
“The drop in vaccination rates was already a warning sign that measles could be back,” Bishops said.
These results may be detrimental to the upcoming meeting of the Pan American Health Organization’s panel of experts on infectious diseases.
At its November meeting, the panel is expected to reassess the status of measles control in the United States. The researchers noted that Canada lost its elimination status in November 2025.
“Strengthening vaccination efforts, reducing release rates, and stopping current local transmission will be critical to reversing this trajectory,” the researchers said.
More information
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more information rubella.
Sources: Children’s Hospital Boston, news release, April 30, 2026; LancetApril 30, 2026
What does this mean for you?
Parents should make sure their children are vaccinated against measles.
