# US Has Lost Measles Elimination Status, Global Health Authorities Say

Source: [KFF Health News](https://kffhealthnews.org/public-health/us-measles-elimination-status-lost-outbreaks-continuous-spread-year-paho-cdc/) · 2026-11-14 · Medicine
Page: https://themorning.science/story/us-has-lost-measles-elimination-status-global-health-authorities-say-25595b67823af3f2
Kind: other · Impact: high

## In brief

- The U.S. has officially lost its status as a country where measles is eliminated, according to KFF Health News and Live Science reporting on WHO authorities.
- Measles had been eliminated in the U.S. since 2000, meaning over a year without continuous domestic spread of the virus.
- KFF Health News reports that researchers with direct knowledge of the deliberations say the Pan American Health Organization made the determination.

## Why it matters

Losing elimination status means measles is now considered to be circulating continuously in the U.S., a major change after more than 25 years without it, with implications for public health surveillance and vaccination efforts.

## Timeline

- 2026-11-14: Reports say WHO and PAHO authorities determined the U.S. has lost measles elimination status

## Coverage

- [US Has Lost Measles Elimination Status, Global Health Authorities Say](https://kffhealthnews.org/public-health/us-measles-elimination-status-lost-outbreaks-continuous-spread-year-paho-cdc/) — KFF Health News, 2026-11-14
- [Measles is back in the United States, WHO authorities say](https://www.livescience.com/health/viruses-infections-disease/measles-is-back-in-the-united-states-who-authorities-say) — Latest from Live Science in Health, 2026-11-14

Tags: measles, public health, vaccination, infectious disease, elimination status

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Brief generated by AI (claude-haiku-5-5) from the reporting listed under Coverage. Headlines belong to their publishers. The Morning Science – https://themorning.science