Local experts warn US may lose measles elimination status after 25 years

SAN ANTONIO – The United States may soon lose an important health safety qualifier known as the measles elimination status.

This status is awarded to countries that have had no continuous measles transmission for a full year.

Recent outbreaks in Texas and South Carolina have raised concerns that the U.S. could be at risk of losing this designation.

The status has been held by the U.S. for 25 years, marking the country as a safer place in terms of measles transmission.

Dr. Jason Bowling, an infectious disease specialist with University Health and UT Health San Antonio, explained the significance of the status.

“It really designates the U.S. as a safer place. It really recognizes whether or not measles is something that you need to worry about on a day-to-day basis,” he said.

Bowling said this is not just a problem here at home. Measles numbers have seen an uptick globally, which means some cases can enter the United States from other countries.

Bowling emphasized that the best way to prevent measles outbreaks is to follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) protocols and get vaccinated. He also stressed the importance of educating others about the benefits of vaccines.

KSAT reached out to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for comment.

DHS stated that vaccines remain the most important tool to prevent measles and assured that the U.S. is not yet at risk of losing its measles elimination status.

You can learn more about measles cases on the CDC’s website, as well as what the CDC is doing to keep numbers down.

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