The U.S. will likely lose its measles elimination status. Here's what that means

"Dr. Linda Bell, South Carolina's state epidemiologist, points out that in Texas, measles cases grew over the course of seven months, while in South Carolina it has taken just 16 weeks to surpass the Texas case count. "This is a milestone that we have reached in a relatively short period of time, very unfortunately," she said at a press briefing Wednesday. "And it's just disconcerting to consider what our final trajectory will look like for measles in South Carolina.""

"Measles elimination status is granted and taken away by a special verification commission set up by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). It reviews extensive evidence to determine whether the outbreaks in the U.S. are all part of a continuous chain of transmission that began with the outbreak in Texas in January 2025. Gathering the necessary epidemiological data, genomic analyses and surveillance reports takes time."

South Carolina has confirmed 847 measles cases since October, reaching that total in 16 weeks—faster than the Texas outbreak, which grew over seven months. The state reported 58 new cases since Tuesday. Rapid spread challenges the United States' ability to contain measles and risks losing national measles elimination status, which requires a year without continuous transmission. The Trump administration has taken multiple steps that have undermined overall confidence in vaccines. The Pan American Health Organization's verification commission evaluates whether U.S. outbreaks form a continuous chain using epidemiological, genomic and surveillance data, a process that takes time.

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