Ongoing measles outbreaks in multiple parts of the country are threatening the United States’ status as a nation that has eliminated the virus’ spread, but a CDC leader said on [January 20, 2025] that the potential change is not a big concern.
…
US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Principal Deputy Director Dr. Ralph Abraham, a former Louisiana surgeon general who ended some vaccine promotion in his state, argued at the briefing … that transmission between these states, as well as other outbreaks, has not been proved. But he also said that the US losing elimination status would not be a grave concern.
The US recorded 2,242 measles cases in 2025, … the most since 1991. The disease was declared eliminated in the US in 2000, and the Pan American Health Organization could decide to revoke that status when it meets in April.
[CDC Measles Tracker: As of January 13, 2026, 171 confirmed measles cases were reported in the United States in 2026. For the full year of 2025, a total of 2,242 confirmed* measles cases were reported in the United States.]
Share this article
Asked during the briefing whether he would see [measles elimination status] as a significant loss, Abraham said, “not really.”
