WASHINGTON — Confirmed U.S. measles cases have climbed to 5,412 this year as of Nov. 12, more than double the 2,289 cases in all of 2025, pushing the country toward losing the measles elimination status it has held for more than 25 years, Stateline reported via the Arizona Mirror.
The figures come from the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
A country keeps elimination status when it can stop measles transmission within 12 months. A panel of experts at the Pan American Health Organization was reviewing U.S. cases Friday.
“It’s pretty clear we’re hitting one grim milestone after the other,” said Dr. Susan Kansagra, chief medical officer of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.
Katrine Wallace, an epidemiologist at the University of Illinois Chicago School of Public Health, said losing the status would mean the disease “has become what we call endemic again.”
Health officials say the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine is the best protection. Arizonans can check their vaccination records with their doctor or county health department.
Sources: Arizona Mirror / Stateline. Thee Arizona Times uses AI-assisted reporting reviewed against the sources listed.
Photo: U.S. Army 21TSC by Sgt. 1st Class Aaron Duncan / Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
