The United States has lost its measles elimination status, according to multiple news reports. Axios reported that an international health organization has determined the country lost the status. The outlet described the determination as official recognition of how much the country's public health has deteriorated due to a rolling series of outbreaks since early last year.
CBS News reported that the United States "has lost its official measles elimination status for the first time in 26 years." Its headline also said the loss came as cases surged nationwide. The report did not name the organization that made the determination in its summary.
The Hill reported, in a piece by Nathaniel Weixel, that the country is "on the brink" of losing its status after more than 25 years. The Hill said losing the status would be mostly symbolic but marks a step back for public health. Its framing differs from the other two reports, which described the loss as having already occurred.
Axios also named increased public skepticism about the safety and effectiveness of vaccines as part of the context it described. The Hill and CBS News did not give case totals in their summaries, and none of the three reports identified a location for the outbreaks.
The sources do not fully agree on timing. Axios and CBS News described the status as lost, while The Hill described the United States as poised to lose it. The available summaries do not explain the reason for the difference.
Sources: The Hill: U.S. poised to lose measles elimination status; Axios: U.S. loses measles elimination status; CBS News: U.S. loses measles elimination status as cases surge nationwide.