“It’s a loss of standing. It’s a loss of stature. It’s a loss of achievement,” Nuzzo said.
The United States is on the verge of losing its measles elimination status as more than 5,000 cases have been reported nationwide this year, according to CIDRAP.
The country has held its measles elimination distinction since 2000, when the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) determined that endemic transmission of the virus had been interrupted. However, an international commission of experts is meeting this week to determine if that status should be revoked.
The decision could come as soon as November 17, after a panel of scientists from PAHO determines whether the U.S. has experienced more than 12 months of uninterrupted transmission, Yahoo News reported.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in a 2021 book wrote that Americans had been "misled … into believing that measles is a deadly disease." He said measles outbreaks had been "fabricated" to push people towards vaccines. https://t.co/lBXK42mpjj pic.twitter.com/lo7ZA0nv8F
Measles cases and deaths rise across the U.S.
Measles is spreading through the U.S. at a pace not seen in over three decades, PolitiFact reported. The CDC has recorded more than 5,100 measles cases so far in 2026, which is an increase from 2,289 cases in all of 2025 and 285 cases in 2024, Scientific American noted. By comparison, the CDC reported just 85 cases in the year the nation eliminated the disease in 2000.
According to reporting from CNBC, states have confirmed six deaths in Pennsylvania, one in Wisconsin, and one in New York, bringing the total number of deaths linked to the illness in 2026 to eight so far. Some reports indicate the national death count has reached ten, including two deaths reported on a Friday in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
| Year | Total Confirmed Cases |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 285 |
| 2025 | 2,289 |
| 2026 (to date) | Over 5,100 |
Epidemiologist Jennifer Nuzzo, director of Brown University’s Pandemic Center, described the current state of transmission as a perpetual cycle, comparing the outbreaks to popcorn that grows in size, shrinks, and then moves elsewhere. Nuzzo said that losing elimination status is a “symbolic loss” that indicates the nation is less healthy than it was 26 years ago.
“We’re starting to see a whole bunch of people who decided not to get vaccinated as kids or have never gotten exposed to measles because they benefited from herd immunity, who now make it into adulthood and risk potentially getting quite seriously ill and requiring very significant medical expenses, or dying at the hospital,” CNBC reported.
The virus has found more unvaccinated families and communities in 2025 and 2026. As of November, the Brown University School of Public Health’s Tracking Report newsletter tallied 5,478 cases and nine deaths. So far in 2026, 13 states have seen more than 100 measles cases, according to CDC data. In 2025, only five states surpassed that threshold.
Outbreaks create significant financial burdens
The resurgence of the virus is creating a large financial burden. A tool developed by researchers at Johns Hopkins University estimates the economic cost of the 2026 outbreaks at nearly $83 million, CNBC reported. This estimate is based on the current case count.
CNBC reported that this figure is comprised of more than $1.8 million for direct medical costs, nearly $25 million in lost productivity, and $56 million for public health response efforts. That previous model estimated roughly $298,000 in fixed costs and about $16,300 for every additional case.
The economic burden extends to those who are merely exposed and must quarantine, even if they do not develop symptoms. Researcher Mattingly argued that the costs of these contact-driven ripples can quickly exceed the investment needed for vaccination, stating, “Even if you don't get the infection, the contact costs you.”
Clinicians are also facing new challenges in patient management. John Goldman, an epidemiologist at UPMC Harrisburg, has been treating patients in Pennsylvania, where the outbreak has resulted in 1,542 cases and seven deaths, The Washington Post reported. Goldman, an infectious-disease specialist who has helped care for approximately 50 infected patients in a single year, said that he had seen only two cases in over 30 years of practice.
“There is a tremendous amount of what I would describe as learning on the fly,” Goldman told The Washington Post.
The Pennsylvania outbreak has made complications more visible. Doctors estimate nearly two dozen babies have either been born with the infection or became infected after delivery. Kevin Ault, an obstetrician-gynecologist at Penn State Health in Hershey, said that pregnant women face increased risks of pneumonia, miscarriage, stillbirth, and premature delivery if they contract the virus.
Measles can lead to serious complications including ear infections, diarrhea, pneumonia, and encephalitis (brain swelling). The CDC states that these complications, including pneumonia, encephalitis, or death, can occur in 1 to 3 out of every 1,000 infected children.
Declining vaccination rates
Health experts point to falling vaccination rates as a primary driver of the spread. While a 95 percent vaccination rate is required to sustain herd immunity, CNBC reported, rates have been slipping for years, MPR News noted. A study in Nature found numerous counties across the country with MMR vaccination coverage under 60 percent, Scientific American reported.
The effectiveness of the vaccine remains high. Two doses of the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine are 97 percent effective at preventing infection, CIDRAP reported. According to the CDC, the vaccine can be administered to children starting at 12 months old, with a second dose required between ages 4 and 6.
“The only way to prevent infections when there is an ongoing national outbreak at levels that we haven’t seen in decades is to get the MMR vaccine,” Andrew Handel, a pediatric infectious diseases physician at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital, told ABC News.
He added, “It is safe, it is effective, and it’s the best thing we can do again to stop this outbreak and get the country back to the rates of measles infections that we’d previously seen.”
Vaccination protects Americans as elimination status changes
The CDC has said that losing the elimination designation will not change how federal officials address outbreaks.
“The measles elimination designation is not what protects Americans. Vaccination does,” CDC Director Erica Schwartz, CDC Director, said.
The official announcement regarding the United States’ measles elimination status is expected on November 17, Yahoo News reported.
For individuals with questions regarding vaccination history or eligibility, experts suggest contacting a healthcare provider or pharmacist. It is important to note that certain populations, such as children with cancer, pregnant individuals, or those with compromised immune systems, may not be eligible for the MMR vaccine and should discuss concerns with a medical professional.
Earlier coverage: US measles cases reach 35-year high, CDC says
