U.S. Nears Loss of Measles-Free Status as 5,000 Cases Expose Vaccination Slide
Updated
Updated · NBC News · Nov 11
U.S. Nears Loss of Measles-Free Status as 5,000 Cases Expose Vaccination Slide
3 articles · Updated · NBC News · Nov 11
Summary
More than 5,000 measles cases, 43 outbreaks and eight deaths this year have pushed the U.S. to the brink of losing the elimination status it achieved in 2000.
An eight-member Pan American Health Organization commission is expected to weigh that status this week as public health experts warn the country has lost control of transmission.
Vaccination gaps are driving the surge: Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, fell to 87.6% MMR coverage in 2025-26 from 95.5% before the pandemic, below the 95% threshold needed to stop spread.
Health officials trace the erosion to years of false claims about vaccine dangers, with pandemic-era misinformation accelerating declines in childhood immunization, especially in vulnerable areas.