US Faces Loss of Measles-Free Status Amid Expert Review - RTÉ.ie

Measles infections in the United States have surged to more than 5,000 cases this year, according to newly updated data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The spike in transmission has prompted the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) to begin an expert review to determine if the country has lost its official measles-free status, a milestone it has maintained since 2000, RTÉ reported.

The decision, which could fundamentally alter the nation’s standing in global public health, rests with a panel of outside experts currently conducting closed-door deliberations in Washington. These experts are reviewing epidemiological and laboratory evidence to see if transmission has continued uninterrupted for 12 months or longer. The determination is expected to be made public early next week, RTÉ reported.

“Whether or not the US loses its measles-elimination status, we have a huge problem with measles,” said Noel Brewer, a University of North Carolina public health professor who also leads an independent US advisory committee on the disease.

A growing gap in vaccination coverage

The resurgence of the virus coincides with a measurable decline in immunization rates. According to CDC data, vaccination coverage among US kindergarteners dropped to 92.4% during the 2025-26 school year, down from 95.2% during the 2019-20 school year prior to the pandemic.

The human impact of this decline is becoming increasingly visible in hospital wards. ABC News reported that at least 11% of cases have resulted in hospitalization, a figure that rises to more than 1 in 10 for children under the age of five.

The current outbreak has also resulted in a rise in fatalities. While the CDC has confirmed eight deaths so far in 2026, Al Jazeera reported a dispute regarding the official count. Pennsylvania state health officials have reported six deaths, whereas the federal tally has been lower. This discrepancy stems from a disagreement between Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over how measles-associated deaths are classified.

According to Al Jazeera, the CDC initially removed two deaths from its national tally after Kennedy questioned whether measles had contributed to the fatalities. The agency is currently working with the US Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists to establish a standardized definition for these deaths.

Metric	2026 Figure	Comparison / Context
Confirmed Cases	5,182	Highest number reported since 1991, Al Jazeera reported
Kindergarten Vaccination Rate	92.4%	Down from 95.2% in 2019-20, ABC News reported
Unvaccinated Case Share	Approximately 96%	Majority of cases, ABC News reported

The political and systemic rift

The crisis has become a focal point for criticism of the current administration’s health leadership. Public health experts have pointed to the influence of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has historically spread doubts about vaccine safety without scientific evidence, as a driver of increased vaccine hesitancy.

CDC reports more than 5,000 measles cases, highest number in 35 years — Photo: Al Jazeera

The New Republic reported that in April, Kennedy declined to offer a full-throated endorsement of the MMR vaccine, instead stating that his agency was focused on finding treatments for unvaccinated individuals. This stance comes at a time when medical consensus holds that there are no known effective treatments or cures for measles other than vaccine prevention.

World Health Organization officials meet to evaluate revoking the U.S.' measles-free status — NBC News

For some, the loss of measles-free status would represent more than just a medical setback; it would represent a structural failure in American institutions. Demetre Daskalakis, a former top CDC official who resigned after Kennedy took office, told RTÉ that losing the status would be a sign of a broader dismantling of the nation’s public health system.

“Measles is the great indicator of where the cracks are in our foundation,” said Demetre Daskalakis.

The Department of Health and Human Services has pushed back against the idea that current leadership is responsible for the trend, stating that national vaccination rates had already begun to decline before Kennedy took office.

Dr. Erica Schwartz, director of the CDC, emphasized that the agency’s strategy remains focused on containment through proven methods. She said that if the US loses its status, the agency will continue to reemphasize that the number one way to prevent measles is the MMR vaccine, ABC News reported.

Global implications and local outbreaks

The epidemiological trend is not contained within US borders. The loss of elimination status is a pattern seen elsewhere; Canada, Spain, and the UK have all recently lost their status following reviews by World Health Organization experts.

US Faces Loss of Measles-Free Status Amid Expert Review - RTÉ.ie — Photo: The New Republic

Locally, the virus is finding pockets of vulnerability.

“It feels really concerning, as though everything is falling apart. The US was held up as a model for a lot of vaccine programs,” said Helen Bedford, a University College London professor of children’s health who has provided vaccination guidance to the UK government.

“But measles is definitely back in the United States. And it will take a lot of work to reverse that. "And it is tragic, because children are the ones who will suffer," Bedford added, RTÉ reported.”

The PAHO annual meeting, where the final recommendations will be solidified, continues in Washington until 13 November.