The U.S. could lose its measles elimination status this week as cases surge

Verified: 11 outlets in 5 countries have reported this story since Nov 10, 2 of them from the United States.

The U.S. is almost certainly no longer deserving of its measles elimination status, public health experts say—and the nation could officially lose it as soon as this week. Officials at the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) are meeting to discuss whether the country has seen enough endemic spread of the potentially deadly and highly preventable disease to warrant taking away that accolade. If PAHO does opt to remove the elimination status, the loss will represent a public health failure of the highest degree, experts say. “It’s astounding to me,” says Elizabeth Jacobs, a professor…