PAHO: USA loses 'measles-free' status

The United States has lost its measles-free designation following a year of continuous transmission, according to reports by the Wall Street Journal and Svenska Dagbladet.

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), a regional office of the World Health Organization, has stripped the United States of its status as a country where measles has been eliminated. The decision was reached following an assessment finding that the virus has circulated continuously within the country for more than a year. The reports, based on data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), indicate that this represents one of the most significant outbreaks in the nation in three decades.

According to reports in the Wall Street Journal and Svenska Dagbladet, thousands of measles cases and several deaths have been recorded since the beginning of 2025, amidst a decline in vaccination rates and rising vaccine hesitancy. Further details regarding the official PAHO response have not yet been released.