US Measles Elimination at Risk as Local Outbreaks Surge
TL;DR
Measles cases in the U.S. have surged to levels not seen in decades, jeopardizing the country’s elimination status as most of the 2,295 cases this year are locally acquired. Experts say elimination requires over 95% vaccination at the community level, but post-pandemic declines in MMR coverage, rising exemptions, and shrinking public health funding threaten rapid detection and response. Analysts project the U.S. could lose its measles elimination status by 2026, and restoring high vaccine coverage may take years.
- The US Eliminated Measles in 2000, Now It's Surging. Scientists Explain What It'll Take to Get The Disease Under Control Once More ScienceAlert
- Measles surges dramatically in California among children and young adults Los Angeles Times
- ‘The Child Is Terrified’: Measles Doctors Speak Out WIRED
- U.S. measles cases hit 35-year record with months left in 2026 The Washington Post
- Measles surge is threatening even highly vaccinated West Coast regions, officials say San Francisco Chronicle
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