Infectious disease
PAHO to review U.S. measles elimination status amid outbreaks
PAHO is reviewing U.S. measles elimination status after the country met its one-year transmission condition and reported more than 5,000 cases in 2026.
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is set to review whether the United States and Mexico retain measles elimination status amid ongoing outbreaks, The Hill reported. The Hill said the countries were scheduled for a three-day closed-door meeting next week. Politico reported that a UN body would consider the U.S. status that week, giving a different timing.
The CDC has confirmed 5,182 measles cases in 2026, the highest count since 1991, according to Medical Xpress. The Hill reported over 5,000 cases this year and nearly 7,500 since the start of 2025. The U.S. met PAHO’s condition of one year of consistent transmission in January, The Hill reported. The Hill also said Trump health officials argued that 12 continuous months alone should not automatically end elimination status, and that PAHO should consider whether cases have an epidemic linkage through a common source.
